Barriers
by FrostSnap
Summary: Bakura has finally reached a peaceful co-existence with the dark soul in his Ring. However, Domino High has just received a new transfer student and she presents more than just a language barrier! BakuraxOCC,Yami BakuraxOCC, Rated M for possible lemons
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note-** _**Hello! My name is FrostSnap and this is my first story. I'll say right now, only the plot and a few names belong to me. Everything else Yu-Gi-Oh related is not mine. Only the original characters are. So, I hope you like it. **_

**Warning:**_** This story is rated M simply because there will be lemons later on. First few chapters, do not get your hopes up. And I have a filthy mouth sometimes, so beware of possible swearing. **_

The snow was falling in large flakes, covering the city like a thick white blanket. It was nowhere near a storm, but the previous night had covered the roads and sidewalks with snow. By morning, the roads had been cleared, but the sidewalks were still missing, hidden beneath the freezing whiteness, making the usual morning journey a difficult one for the students at Domino High.

_'The snow's pretty, but couldn't they have cleared the sidewalks too?'_ Were the thoughts of one white-haired and brown-eyed student as he trudged unhappily through the eight inches of snow.

Even at a height of five feet, eleven inches, Bakura Ryou still had a difficult time making it through the snow.

_**Hurry up. I can feel this cold too, you know**_**.** A dark voice ordered from within his mind. Bakura sighed, knowing that the voice came from the ring dangling on a chain round his neck, hidden under his uniform shirt.

The voice belonged to Yami Bakura or the Thief King, as he sometimes preferred to be called. He lived in Ancient Egypt and his soul had been sealed within the Millennium Ring to prevent him from causing any more trouble in that era. At first, Bakura didn't know of the soul's existence, and so, when the soul took over his body, he had no idea what was happening. But now, the two had a peace treaty, Bakura got to keep control over his body, and Yami stopped trying to commit evil acts once he took over.

_**I said, hurry up! I hate the cold!**_ Yami's voice echoed throughout the ring, and while it seemed loud to Bakura, no one else on the sidewalk could hear it.

Bakura sighed and ignored the voice, but he picked up his pace anyways. Sometimes, he wished his relationship with Yami was like the one between Yugi and Atemu. Yugi Mutou, a classmate and friend of his, had solved the Millennium Puzzle, and so, he had released Atemu, a pharaoh from Ancient Egypt. At the beginning, he was much like Bakura, and had no idea when Atemu took over. But after a while, the two became extremely good friends, and Atemu had a friendly personality which allowed him to make friends whenever he possessed Yugi.

That pulled another thought to the surface. Sometimes, it was just too troublesome, keeping Yami and Atemu secret from other people, plus preventing Yami from going on a warpath to find the remaining Millennium items, usually accompanied by a long rant about how the collection of all the items would grant absolute power, etc, etc.

So wrapped up in his thoughts, Bakura didn't notice where he was going until he bumped into someone much smaller and lighter than him. _**Stupid people need to pay attention! Anyone should have been able to see you coming!**_ Yami grumbled. "Oh! I am so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. Are you alright?" He asked as he stumbled back slightly from the impact and looked down at the girl he knocked over, extending his hand to her.

The girl was much shorter than him, barely standing at five feet. Her hair was a pure black but as it came into contact with the snow, it appeared to have streaks of blue and purple in it. It was cut short however, just barely hanging lower than her chin. The girl was wearing Domino High's winter uniform, the dark blue skirt and sweater with a red necktie.

She reached up and took his hand, pulling herself to her feet. As she brushed the snow off her skirt, Bakura looked at her face. She had a sweet, heart-shaped face with her bangs cut to frame it and put emphasis on her large charcoal eyes. "Again, I apologize. Are you alright?" He repeated once she had stopped brushing the snow off her skirt and black briefcase.

"I am alright..." The girl's voice was soft and she spoke slowly, as if she was unfamiliar with Japanese. Bakura gave her a relieved smile. "That's good. Bye now." He turned to walk towards the school, intent on getting out of the cold and pacifying Yami. However, he was stopped by a small tug on the back of his coat. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the girl had reached out and stopped him; a slightly hopeful yet lost expression in her eyes. _**Now what does she want?**_ "Excuse me... Where main office, please?" She questioned, locking her eyes with his.

His nod was hesitant, but it was there all the same. "The main office? Yeah, I can take you there. Just follow me." Bakura said with a small smile as he turned and began to walk back to the school, the girl following after him.

Fifteen minutes later, Bakura was seated in his desk, staring nonchalantly out the window when all of sudden, two hands slammed down on his desk. "Yo, Bakura! Who's that girl you were with earlier?" The owner of the voice was a taller boy with a head full of shaggy blonde hair. Two other boys and two girls surrounded his desk as well. "She was just a new student who needed to go to the office." Bakura explained.

"Good, good. Miho doesn't want Bakura to have a secret mistress." The girl with the long white ponytail said, shaking her head. "Oh, Miho, it is none of your business what Bakura does with other girls." The other girl sighed. "Anzu! Be nice to Miho!" The boy, who was the same height as blond boy, except that he had brown hair, exclaimed. "Honda, could it be that you're more protective of Miho than usual?" The blonde boy questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What did you say, Jonouchi? Bring it on, if you're going to say something stupid!"

The other boy, who was about the same height as the girl from earlier, had remained quiet throughout the entire conversation. Bakura noticed this and looked to his friend, smiling lightly. "Morning Yugi. Anything wrong?" He asked. Yugi shook his head. "I'm alright. I just stayed up too late, trying to solve another puzzle." He replied with a sheepish grin.

Before they could say anything else, the teacher walked into the room and knocked twice on the chalkboard. "Everyone, attention, please!" She called out. Once everyone had been seated, she smiled and looked to the door. "Alright, we have a new student today. She used to live in Japan, but for the past eight years, she has lived in England, studying abroad." As the teacher spoke, the door was pushed open and a girl walked in.

Bakura looked up and his eyes widened. It was the girl from earlier! And she used to live in England...Well that explained her strange way of speaking. In England, Bakura doubted that she had a lot of uses for Japanese.

The girl stood in front of the classroom and smiled shyly. "I am Aoimori Hotaru. Pleasure to meet everyone." She said politely, as she bowed respectfully. Some of the classmates, including Yugi and the others, gave their own polite physical greeting. Others laughed slightly at her awkward and super polite way of speaking.

Once it had quieted down in the classroom, the teacher smiled again. "Alright then, Aoimori, please take a seat next to Ryou. Ryou, would you raise your hand and agree to show Aoimori around the school?" The teacher asked. Bakura raised his hand and nodded. "Yeah, that's no problem." The teacher thanked him and Hotaru hurried over to sit down in the empty desk next to him.

As the teacher started the lesson, Bakura looked over at Hotaru, surprised that of all the classrooms, she would be placed in the same one as him. _**It's not that big of a surprise. This is a small class. Stop staring at her like a fool. Girls will only mean trouble for us. **_Yami snapped. Despite how he acted, the ancient soul was aware of the danger if they were to be found out. Bakura sighed and heeded Yami's words, turning his attention to the teacher.

The first two periods had gone by smoothly and when the bell rang, signaling the end of second period, Bakura stood up and looked over at Hotaru. "Shall we go then? If your schedule is the same as mine, it is time for gym." He said, waiting as the girl stood up and placed her belonging back in her briefcase before looking up at him.

"Yes... Thank you much. I want not to be of trouble to you." Hotaru said politely, bowing again. Bakura shook his head while Yami laughed. _**Dear God, her Japanese is terrible. That alone is troublesome enough. **_"Oh no, you're not any trouble at all. I don't mind, especially since we have the same classes." Bakura said with a smile. Hotaru smiled back and followed him out of the classroom.

Half an hour later, the boys and girls had separated to either side of the gym, both genders playing basketball. Dressed in the red shorts and white t-shirt that was the male gym uniform, Bakura glanced, ever so often, over at the girls' side of the gym, checking on Hotaru. _**Would you knock it off? Since when do you care about how one girl does?**_ Yami questioned. If he had a physical form, Bakura was sure that he would be glaring at him. _I am just curious. I remember what it was like to be a new student, so my actions are of empathy and curiosity. Nothing more_. Pacified, Yami went silent and Bakura turned his attention back to his class.

On the other side of the gym, Hotaru leaned against the wall, watching her classmates play against each other. Instead of the white t-shirt, she opted to wear the white sweater and had her hair secured under a headband, with only a few stubborn locks left to frame her face. It was harder than she thought to speak Japanese again, and the students had changed so much since she left. Before she had left for England, Hotaru had been in the same class with the same people and they had gotten along. Now, maturity seems to have eluded them, along with their memories.

Sighing, Hotaru glanced over at the boys' side of the gym, only to notice a pair of brown eyes focused on her. Hotaru blinked, surprised. Why was Bakura looking over here? Did she look weird amongst the other girls? Self-consciously, Hotaru pulled on the ends of her hair, her gaze dropping to the ground to avoid Bakura's eyes. Amongst all these girls with their womanly figures and long hair, she assumed that she must look like a child and thus, Bakura was comparing her to the others.

"Hey, how come you're not playing?" A voice asked from right next to her. Startled, Hotaru looked up to see the smiling face of Anzu. "Oh, Miss Mazaki...I waiting for my turn." She answered with a hesitant and shy smile. Anzu merely smiled again and shook her head. "Call me Anzu. We're friends, aren't we?" She asked. A happy smile lit up Hotaru's face and she beamed up at the taller girl. "Really? Very happy! Thank you very much, Anzu-san!"

Back on the boys' side, Bakura smiled slightly when he saw Anzu chatting with Hotaru. _**There. She looks to have made friends. Now will you stop acting so difficult? **_Yami asked. Before Bakura could answer, Yugi walked up, a small smile on his face. "Hey Bakura. How's the tour going?" Yugi asked, glancing over at Hotaru and Anzu. Bakura looked down at the shorter boy and shrugged nonchalantly. "It's alright. Aoimori is still having trouble with speaking Japanese, so she's been quiet. I'm just glad that she can understand what we're saying. Things would be so much more difficult if she couldn't understand us." He explained.

Yugi nodded but then smiled again. "Even if she couldn't understand us, Bakura, you have the highest English score in our grade, so I think you would still be the most suited for helping her." Bakura sighed and pushed his bangs back from his face. "This is all so troublesome, though. Yami doesn't like the cold, so he's in a bad mood, and Aoimori-san, honestly, isn't helping by shadowing me." Bakura explained with another sigh. Yugi also sighed. "I know what you mean. Atemu is becoming cranky too. But he won't express it, so I can't sleep."

The two boys looked at each other and sighed before laughing in union. Sometimes, it helped to just talk about the burdens of having a second soul, especially if the soul was temperamental or troublesome. "Hey, later, do you wanna have a duel? Just for fun?" Yugi offered. Yami became interested. _**So the pharaoh wants another go, huh? I'll take him on any day! **_"No! It's for fun, only! I will duel Yugi!" Bakura said aloud in a firm voice, causing Yugi to jump slightly. "A-alright then. Atemu also understands and promised not to interfere." Yugi said before his name was called. Waving good-bye, Yugi ran off to take his turn.

Left alone, or as alone as he could be with two souls, Bakura looked over to the girls' side. Hotaru hadn't moved, but Anzu did, so the girl stood alone once more. As he watched, she raised her head and stared up at the high windows, her small hand reaching up to her headband. With a quick tug, she freed her hair and it rejoiced by falling around her like a silk curtain, the sun catching it and creating a halo around her. Her eyes had been closed, but now they were open once she had felt him stare at her, and she was staring back at him, a questioning expression on her face. Bakura gulped and quickly looked away. _**Don't tell me you are starting to fall for a girl like that? I mean, if you have to jeopardize our entire existence, you could at least go for a prettier or smarter girl. That one doesn't even talk and she's rather plain, don't you agree?**_ Yami taunted. However, the soul was ignored as a whistle blown and both classes turned and fled to the locker rooms.

The day flew by rather smoothly, until it reached lunch. Both Bakura and Yugi wolfed down their lunches so that they could spend rest of the period dueling. Once they had two desks pushed together, they pulled out their decks and began. Anzu and Jonouchi gathered behind Yugi, while Miho and Honda had gathered behind Bakura. Hotaru stood between the two duelists, watching with an intense stare. Fifteen minutes into the duel, and Yugi was winning, but not by much. However, Bakura was in a tough spot, having lost one of his best monsters already. Hotaru leaned over and glanced at his cards before tapping two of his magic cards and glancing to the one monster he had on the field. "Are you sure?" At her nod, he picked up the two cards. "Alright then. I'll activate my magic cards and equip them to my monster and then I'll attack your Dark Magician." Once it had been completed, every one except Hotaru was staring in shock. With one attack, Bakura had wiped out the remainder of Yugi's life points.

"No fair, that was cheating! You can't use Hotaru-chan in this!" Anzu protested while both Bakura and Yugi laughed. "It's alright." Yugi said as he turned to Hotaru. "But how did you know how to do that? Do you duel as well?" Hotaru smiled and nodded. "Yes...I sometimes Need more practice. Japanese tournaments very tough." She answered, noticing that Miho was staring at her. Bakura grinned up at her. "Thanks for the tip. I've never been able to beat Yugi before." _**I'll admit, that was impressive. **_Yami mumbled grudgingly as Hotaru managed to stop Anzu's barrage of questions

When the final bell rang, Bakura packed his bag, said his good byes, and left quickly. On the walk home, he sighed and looked up at the sky. "Why is it that the shortest people are always the best duelists?" He asked aloud. Yami snorted and shook his head, but remained silent all throughout the remainder of the evening. Once Bakura was asleep, Yami slipped out of the ring and stood in his shadowy form, surveying his host.

_**This can't continue. Even I now long for the peace that comes with hiding. No one needs to know about the duo souls. That girl cannot be allowed any closer. No matter how strong she is, or what changes she can bring. She cannot be trusted.**_ Yami thought as he glanced out the window. Without revealing his existence, he could easily scare her away. Girls didn't tend to like his personality, and even the strongest of men found him intimating when he tried. _**This girl will not be a challenge**_. With that final thought, he disappeared into the ring.

At seven a.m. the next morning, the same routine was repeated. Bakura trudged unhappily through the snow and Yami complained because of the cold. The only difference was, Bakura didn't run into anyone this morning.

When he reached the classroom, he sat down in his desk, sighing with relief at the warmth of the classroom. However, a gentle tap on his shoulder interrupted his peace. Opening his eyes, he looked up to see Hotaru standing near him, a friendly smile on her face. "Forgive me for to disturb you. Follow please?" Her speaking was still extremely polite, but it seemed that the time she had spent with Anzu made the Japanese flow more easily from her lips. Bakura nodded and stood up, again towering over the girl. "Sure. What do you need?" He asked. Hotaru shook her head and smiled while making a motion for him to follow her.

After a couple of minutes of silent following, Hotaru led him to a slightly empty hallway. "I want not be rude but Jonouchi –san is loud." She said quietly. Bakura nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he can be a little loud sometimes." He sighed. "Now, what do you need, Aoimori-san?" He asked, looking down at the girl. She smiled shyly and held up a small box wrapped in a colorful handkerchief. "To show thanks, I cook for you. Manga says that it best way to thank boys." She said as she bowed once before extending the box to him.

_**Oh, this ends now**_. Before Bakura could respond, the Millennium Ring glowed and his head bowed. When he raised his head, his brown eyes were much colder and he had a horrible glare on his face. Startled, Hotaru blinked up at him. "Ryou-san? What is wrong?" She questioned, her surprise forcing her to speak in English. He advanced towards and raised his hand. With a swift motion, he slapped her hand, knocking the lunch box to the ground. "Will you take a hint? I don't need an annoying little girl following me around!" Taking the girl's silence to be an acceptance of defeat, Yami turned and began to walk away.

Reaching the end of the hallway, he ducked into the boys' bathroom and after checking that it was empty, Bakura took control and Yami appeared in his shadowy form. "What did you do that for? Aoimori-san wasn't doing anything wrong." Bakura protested, staring at his second soul. Yami shook his head and returned the glare. "She was getting too close. Except for Anzu, no other girl needs to be that close. In fact, if it wasn't for that dammed pharaoh, I would have chased away Anzu as well." He explained before glancing away from Bakura.

"She wouldn't find out! All she wanted was to thank me for helping her!" Bakura argued. As he spoke, Yami moved so that he was standing about two inches away from him. "Listen and listen well, boy. I have agreed to give you back your body, but I will not allow some girl to become that close. I like keeping my existence secret and acting through you, so don't you dare protest. If I have to, I will banish you to the Ring and I will keep your body. Do not tempt me." That said, he vanished, leaving Bakura to stand still.

When the bell rang, he turned and went back to class. As he sat down, he glanced over at Hotaru's desk, not entirely surprised to find it empty. The teacher, too, was surprised at Hotaru's absence, but she continued class anyways. About twenty minutes into class, the door slid open and Hotaru walked in, a sheepish look on her face. "Sorry for be late. I make lunch spill in hallway and want to clean. Then not able to remember where classroom" The teacher nodded, satisfied with this excuse. "Fine, don't let it happen again." That said, she turned back to the chalkboard. Hotaru bowed once before hurrying over to her desk. Sitting down, she pulled out her notebook and began taking notes, not looking, not even once, over at Bakura.

The white-haired boy sighed and resumed taking his own notes. It was to be expected. She didn't know about Yami, so she must not know what to think about that outburst. Her feelings were probably hurt, and she would most likely not approach him on her own. _'Are you happy now?'_ He thought as the Millennium Ring vibrated contentedly. _**For the moment. I'm not surprised that she's reacting like that. Hopefully she took the hint and has some brains in that tiny head of hers. **__'Shut up. You won, so shut up.' _Bakura grumbled, glancing over at Hotaru once. Even though Yami had yelled at her, she didn't look the slightest bit upset. The only physical evidence of the confrontation was that the back of her left hand was the faintest shade of red.

Even with the current situation, the first two periods went by smoothly and quickly. When the bell rang, ending second period, Hotaru was the first person out of the classroom, nearly running in her hurry to leave the classroom. _'I guess she is upset.'_ Bakura thought as he stood up and went to the gym at his own pace.

Once he had changed and went on out to the gym, Bakura glanced around before sighing again. Once more, Hotaru was nowhere to be found. But as he began to make his way to one side of the gym as the two classes began playing basketball, he heard the sounds of someone running towards him. Turning around slightly, Bakura saw Hotaru running towards him, an unreadable expression in her eyes. Just as he was about to move out her way, Hotaru stopped right in front of him and smiled sheepishly up at him. "I sorry for morning. My food is terrible. Next time, I ask first how you want me thank you. Sorry." She said, stumbling over her Japanese as she bowed several times. Bakura took a step back, surprised. "Ah, no...I mean..You don't have to apologize, you didn't do anything." He said as Yami growled slightly. _**She's a persistent little pest. I am going to have to try harder to scare her off.  
**_  
"But, I make you angry." Hotaru protested, staring up at him with her charcoal eyes. _**You got that right. **_As Bakura thought of a way to answer her, someone had lost control of their basketball and it went flying straight into the back of her head. A slightly stunned expression on her face, Hotaru's eyes rolled back into her head as she fell forward against Bakura, out cold. "Hey! Aoimori-san! Are you alright?" Bakura asked, supporting the girl in his arms. One of the boys responsible hurried over. "Sorry 'bout that. She alright?" He asked as other students from the class began to surround them. "She's just unconscious, she'll be fine. Tell the teacher I took her to nurse." Bakura said and picked Hotaru up bridal-style, and oblivious to the stares from his classmates, he began to carry her out of the gym. Oblivious to Miho staring murderously at Hotaru's unconscious form.

_**What are you doing?**_ Yami demanded, the ring throbbing in his protest. _'Shut up. Aoimori needs to get to the nurse. Can't this wait?' __**Did you see who threw the ball? '**__What do you care?' _Bakura asked as he walked through the halls, the surprisingly light girl in his arms. _**Concerning the girl, I don't. Someone threw a ball at us. I want revenge. **_Seeing as how they were alone, Yami appeared in his shadow form and stared at the girl in Bakura's arms. Bakura was about to reply, but Hotaru began to stir in his arms.

Her eyes slowly opened and blinked a few times before falling on Bakura's face. "Ryou-san...What happened?" She murmured, her English tongue taking over, her hand going to the back of her head. Her eyes flickered past Bakura and locked on Yami. "Two Ryou-sans?" Her eyes wide, she stared at the thief for a few seconds before a sigh left her lips and she slumped against Bakura, fainting again.

_**This is absurd! There is no way she could have seen me! **_Yami shouted, his surprise mingled in with his anger. _'She must have been hallucinating, or else she'll think she was.' _Bakura thought, hoping to calm down the spirit as he began to walk towards the nurse again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Time for the second chapter! Again, I own nothing but the original characters and the plot. Everything else does not belong to me. Please enjoy and be kind enough to review! Even if I only get one per chapter, it is still encouraging. So thank you!**

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Reaching the nurse's office, Bakura slid the door open and stepped in, searching for the nurse. She wasn't in the office, a small note taped to her computer claiming that she was out to lunch. Yami glared at that note. _**What's the point of having a medic on hand if he isn't near when you need him! **_

Bakura barely glanced at him as he carried Hotaru over to an empty bed. "Calm down. Aoimori only needs some ice for her head. We don't need a medic for that." He set her down on the bed and brushed her bangs away from her face. At that gesture, she sighed in her sleep, causing a patch of red to creep up Bakura's neck.

Before Yami could see his reaction or action, he quickly backed away from the bed and crossed the room, heading to the small freezer in the corner. As he did that, Yami drifted over to the bed, staring down at the unconscious girl.

He had humiliated her and yet, she approached them again, believing it to be her fault. Either that was due to her inability to fully understand Japanese or she was truly stupid. He sighed and shook his head, glancing over at his lighter half. Despite all of his warnings, he could tell that Bakura was beginning to warm up to the small girl. And that was something he just couldn't allow.

However, he kept his opinion hidden as Bakura approached with ice, and slid it under Hotaru's head. "You weren't thinking about trying anything to Aoimori in her sleep, were you?" He asked, half joking, half serious. Bakura knew better than anyone that the ancient spirit had no qualms about doing whatever it took to achieve his goal.

Yami snorted. _**As if. If I want this girl destroyed, it doesn't matter what state she's in. Take my word, Bakura. She does one suspicious or unaccountable act and I will end her life. And you know I won't think twice about it. **_

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Several days passed and as Bakura watched, Hotaru became good friends with Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, and Yugi. Everyone except Miho and Yami seemed to accept her as a friend. Miho wouldn't explain her reason for disliking the new girl, and only Bakura, Yugi, and Atemu knew why Yami was still suspicious. But even Bakura began to notice that the spirit's threats became less life-threatening and even began to lose the dangerous edge as the small girl brought smiles to the faces of everyone around her with her mannerisms, difficulty speaking, and her eager to please friendliness.

One morning, as Bakura, Yugi, and Hotaru, all three having met up and walked together to school, were unpacking their bags, Anzu ran up and without saying a word, dragged Yugi and Bakura off with her. "What's up, Anzu?" Yugi asked once the girl had released them in the hallway, a little ways down from their classroom. "Look at this." Anzu said urgently, holding a magazine up to them. "Another tomb has been discovered, along with more tablets concerning..." Her voice trailed off and she looked at Bakura.

He blinked and glanced down at his Ring. "This concerns Yami?" He questioned. _**What? They found out more about my past? What more could have been found?**_ Anzu nodded. "Yeah. The exhibit's today after school. Are you guys interested in going?" At their nods, she smiled. "Alright. I'll tell Jonouchi, Honda, and Miho." As she turned to go, Bakura spoke up, surprising himself and Yami. "If you are guys are comfortable with this, I'd like to bring Aoimori-san along."

Yugi blinked in surprise as Anzu smirked. "I don't mind..." Yugi began. "But why do you want to bring her? Do you plan on telling her about Yami?" At that, Bakura quickly shook his head. "No, I don't intend to, and Yami refuses to even consider mentioning the ring to her. She might find it interesting, and it is possible she would know something about Ancient Egypt from studying in England." He quickly explained as Anzu's smirk grew with his every word. "Yeah, okay. Just admit it, you like her." She teased, watching as Bakura grew flustered. Before he could even defend himself, she turned and ran off, in search of their other friends. Seeing Yugi's questioning look, Bakura shook his head. "Don't say a word."

Leaving the shorter boy, Bakura took his time walking back to the classroom. _**Why? Why would you do something like that? She doesn't need to know! **_Yami shouted, his rage pulsing through Bakura's mind. _**I told you I will not allow her to get close! **__'You're right. So I won't tell her about you. I am just asking her if she would be interested in seeing the artifacts.' _Bakura reasoned. _**I swear I'll destroy the two of you if you so much as even mention the ring or my existence.**_

That threat was ignored, however, when Bakura walked into the classroom. Heading straight to his desk, he noticed that Hotaru had pulled out a notebook and was quietly taking notes, another one of her attempts to become more familiar with Japanese. "Hey, Aoimori-san?" Bakura started as he stopped next to her desk. Blinking, Hotaru set down the book and looked up at him, a smile forming on her face. "Yes? I help you, Ryou-san?" It was obvious she was getting better, but refused to drop the polite tone. Bakura gulped and stared down into her charcoal eyes. "Not really...I mean...Yes...I mean...Would you be interested in seeing an Egyptian exhibit today after school?" He said that last part all in a rush.

Hotaru blinked as her smile turned into a delighted grin and she grabbed the hand Bakura had placed on her desk, staring up at him. "Yes! I interested! I love to study Egypt!" Slightly surprised by her excitement, Bakura found himself smiling as well. "Ah...Okay. Just wait for me after school today, alright?" He said, knowing she would have no idea where anything was in the town. A puzzled expression crossed Hotaru's face before she smiled again and nodded, releasing his hand.

Still smiling, Bakura sat down and glanced out the window. _**I wasn't joking, Bakura**_. Yami promised as the class began.

* * *

The day flew by at an alarming rate, and eventually, all six students met up at the museum. "I'm glad you all made it on time!" Honda announced cheerfully, while keeping his eyes trained on Miho, who in turn, was staring intently at Hotaru, who in turn was looking at Bakura, not completely understanding Honda.

"What are you doing here?" Miho questioned after a few seconds. Hotaru blinked, surprised, and turned to Miho. "Um...Ryou-san ask. I love to study Egypt. I do much of study in England." She answered, her Japanese slow and hesitant.

"Uh-huh. So you're just shadowing Bakura? Then maybe you should go home. You have only been here for a week or two. Don't you need time to practice dueling, or are you too good for Japan's tournaments? If that's the case, why are you even at school, huh? Shouldn't you be working instead of wasting your time at school if you're so smart? Even better, why are you in Japan at all? Aren't the Western Tournaments so much harder?" Miho asked quickly, succeeding in confusing Hotaru, who couldn't keep up in translating her. "Miho! What are you doing?" Anzu asked, turning to her friend with a look of disbelief in her eyes.

Bakura, too, could not believe what just happened, glanced down at Hotaru. She was biting her lower lip and her eyes were clouded. It was obvious she was still trying to figure out what Miho had said. "It is nothing you need to worry about. She is only trying to be funny." Bakura said in English. Other than a slightly shaky accent, it sounded fine. Hotaru looked up at him, her hand holding on to the bottom of her sweater. A relieved smile broke out on her face and she nodded at him, obviously glad that he had rescued her.

Honda, having been oblivious to what the love of his life was doing, rounded on all of them. "Come on! What are you guys waiting for? Let's go in already!" He half scolded, half-shouted. The others nodded, and except for Miho, were glad for the distraction.

_**God. Women are so petty, are they not? You really should let me do something about that. **_Yami mumbled. Before Bakura could question that comment, a large group of people had brushed past them, causing Hotaru to grab his arm with a slightly panicked sound. Bakura looked down at her and she looked back up at him, a sheepish smile on her face. "Large crowds make me to feel nervous.." She offered as an explanation as she kept her hold on his arm. Bakura smiled and made no move to pull away. "Its okay. If you feel scared or nervous, I don't mind." He said with another smile before he led her back to the group. No one had seemed to notice their absence, but Miho glared daggers at Hotaru when she saw her holding on to Bakura.

Once they had reached the featured exhibit, Anzu scouted out a translator and plugged it into the wall circuit next to the exhibit. Turning up the volume, all of them listened quietly to the story about the Ancient Egyptian Thief King. It went on in great lengths about what he stole, whom he killed, and whom he led. Near the end of the tape, it explained a little about his life, saying that he was an orphan from a poor village who eventually died alone and whose body has yet to be discovered. Anzu quietly turned off the tape, leaving everyone to his or her thoughts.

However, the silence was broken by a small sobbing sound and everyone turned to see Hotaru furiously wiping away her tears. "Aoimori? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Bakura was the first one to speak, alarmed by her reaction. "Very sorry for to make a scene. But very sad for Thief King. Alone at birth and death. Very sad, make me to cry." Her voice was quiet as she struggled to stop crying. Yami was dumbstruck to say the least. _**She is crying...For me? But I was a murderer and a thief...Yet she's crying for my sake?**_

"Why are you crying? That thief got what he deserved!" Miho snapped, staring at Hotaru. Everyone, except the two girls, knew who the thief really was and kept silent, not knowing how to interfere. "Why speak that?" Hotaru questioned, staring back at Miho, tears still gathering in her eyes. "No act is equal to be alone for always..." Her voice trailed off and her charcoal eyes dropped to the ground. When Miho looked as if she was about to continue, Bakura placed his hand under Hotaru's elbow. "Come on. You look like you could use some fresh air." He offered as he began to gently propel her to the exit. She allowed him to drag her along and once they were outside, she let out a deep breath and leaned against his shoulder.

"I am wrong?" She asked quietly, her eyes closed. Bakura shook his head. "No, I don't. You are actually the first person I met to think that way." He answered honestly. Hotaru opened her eyes and glanced up at him, a small smile forming on her lips. "Thank you, Ryou-san." She said as she straightened and kept her eyes locked with him. _**She really is a strange girl. I still wouldn't recommend you falling for someone like her, though. She's just a little too strange.**_ Yami commented.

"I can't really say for sure what is going through Miho's head, so you want to go take a little walk while we wait for things to settle down?" Bakura offered after a moment, unsure of how long he could stand still with her eyes on him. Hotaru nodded and smiled. "Yes." That done, the two left the museum and began their walk along the main part of town.

As they walked, Bakura pointed out things around town, book stores, cafes, arcades, and the like with Hotaru listening with rapt attention. However, when they passed by a shadowed ally, a man, whose face was hidden by a black cloak, appeared in front of Hotaru, blocking her path. "You Aoimori Hotaru?" He questioned in rough voice. Seeing the man appear, Bakura quickly moved and stood in front of Hotaru, blocking the small girl from the man.

"What business do you have with her?" Bakura demanded. For once, Yami was silent, his fury slowly filling Bakura. "Nothing that concerns you, boy." The man growled as he attempted to push Bakura away. Meanwhile, a second man appeared behind Hotaru and before either her or Bakura could realize what was happening, her arms were pinned behind her back and a hand clamped over her mouth. At her muffled scream, Bakura whirled around in time to see Hotaru's eyes widen in fear and hear another muffled cry before he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and his world became dark.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note**: Thank you so much for the reviews! And I am so happy that I have been favored! Thank you very much! Here's the third chapter and so once more, the only things I own are the original characters and the plot. Everything else is not mine. Please enjoy!

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It was so dark. And the only sound Bakura could hear was the sound of blood pulsing in his head, the nerves screaming from the injury to his skull. There was another sound, a low, angry sound, but it was drowned out by his own body's complaints.

_**God damn it, Bakura! Wake the fuck up before I obliterate your worthless, piece of shit soul! **_The quiet, furious rumble that Bakura could barely hear turned out to be Yami, raging at him, the Ring glowing hot against his chest with the ancient soul's anger. _**They're fucking rare hunters! We got ambushed and Aoimori is dueling them! Open your damn eyes help that stupid girl!**_

At that, Bakura's eyes flew open, despite his body's protests. It demanded sleep to heal itself. However, the sight before his eyes was more than enough to drown his body out. Right before his eyes, in what appeared to be in an abandoned ware house, Hotaru stood determined, a white and blue duel disk strapped to her left wrist, cards in her right hand, and a holographic monster resembling a demented fairy stood in front of her. About fifteen feet in front of her stood two men, both wearing black hoods that completely hid their faces. They were wearing duel disks identical to hers and had their own monsters, a gruesome dragon and slimy worm, in front of them. However, the thing that stood out the most were the thick black wires that were wound around Hotaru's legs. They were threaded so carefully that she could stand and walk, but they appeared to be almost cutting into her flesh, they were so tight. And judging from the slight trembling of her body, they were hurting her and preventing her from leaving the duel.

Then Bakura realized his own situation. He wasn't looking directly at Hotaru; he was looking down on her! With a start, he realized that his hands had been tied behind his back and a rope secured around his arms held him to what he assumed to be a metal hook, suspending him at least a good twenty feet in the air.

At his surprised sound, Hotaru looked up at him, her expression a strange mixture of relief and determination. "Hold tight, Ryou-san!" She called up to him. "Aoimori! What is going on?" He yelled back, trying to keep his panic out of his voice. At her confused expression, he yelled his question again, as best as he could phrase it in English.

"I fight. One win, you go in safe. Is deal I make." Bakura shook his head. How could Aoimori fight rare hunters? Sure, she did give him good advice before, but that was in the classroom and with his deck against Yugi. Neither of them had their lives on the line and against duelists who were well seasoned in dirty tactics. There was no possible way she would survive a duel against them!

Without either of the two noticing, one of the rare hunters launched an attack and destroyed Hotaru's fairy monster, taking a small chunk out of her life points. At that instant, the wires around Hotaru's legs glowed a bright blue and as they did, Hotaru screamed, her voice tearing apart in agony.

"Aoimori! Aoimori! What's wrong? What's happening to you?" Bakura shouted, thrashing against the ropes that bound him. The rare hunter who attacked her began to laugh. "She knows the rules. We're playing a different kind of game. Our lives are on the same line as our life points. Lose life points; receive a nasty shock that intensifies as she loses more and more life points. When her life points reach zero, the shock will be so extreme, her legs will explode and she'll die from the pain." He explained, still laughing.

Hotaru had stopped screaming and the wires had returned to the black. Her hair hanging in front of her face and her breathing heavy, she glared at the rare hunters as she drew another card.

"And what happens to you? If she does damage to you? All you did was talk about her dying!" Bakura raged at the rare hunters, causing them to laugh again. "She already told you. She beats one of us, you go free. If she can beat both, she can join you. We lose on eliminating her and stealing two amazing decks." The other rare hunter explained, while the first continued to laugh.

"You bastards!" While Bakura roared and struggled, Hotaru summoned another monster and fiercely attacked one of the rare hunters. Thanks to the special effect of the monster she summoned, she managed to eliminate the remainder of that man's life points.

"Win. To make Ryou-san freedom. Now." She said, pointing at the rare hunter who was still able to duel. The man laughed and pulled a control from within his robes. "Alright, little missy. I'll give him his freedom. In fact, he's so free, let's see if he can fly." At that, he pressed a button on the remote.

All at once, Bakura felt the hook press against him and slide up. The next thing he knew, he was falling through the air! A panicked cry tore from his throat and he braced himself for impact.

_**God damn it all! **_The Ring glowed beneath his shirt for a split second before Yami shoved Bakura's soul in to the ring. _**Stay in there. I'll survive this better than you could!**_

Prepared to meet the hard, unforgiving ground, Yami was startled to find that he had landed on something far softer. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring up Hotaru's grimacing face.

Somehow, the girl had managed to dash under him and slide her body so that she cushioned his fall. Sub consciously; he noted that the girl had twisted her body in such a way that she could take the impact without shattering any of her bones.

"Ryou-san, okay?" She asked, trying to turn her grimace into a smile. Carefully, she pushed him off of her and began to untie the ropes that bound him. On the other side of the room, the rare hunter began to laugh as he pressed another button on his remote. The wires on Hotaru's legs began to glow blue again. Seeing that, she shoved Yami as hard as she could while scrambling away from him. A second later, an agonized wail burst through her lips as the wires glowed a brilliant blue.

"You bastard! What the fuck are you doing? She didn't lose any life points!" Yami growled, moving as close as he could without coming into contact with her. If the electricity transferred to him and they were both rendered unconscious, they were both dead.

"Again, she knew the rules. If she left the field before the duel was over, she would receive a nasty shock." He said, giggling madly. "Children these days really need to be taught to understand the consequences of their actions. And what's a better teacher than pain?"

"You fucker." Yami growled. Once the wires had returned to their original black color, Hotaru stumbled, her knees buckling under her. With one arm, Yami caught her as she pitched forward. Her skin was ashen, her eyes closed. The pain had become too much for her. With his free hand, Yami tugged the disk off her arm. Dropping it to the ground, he reached for the wires on her legs.

At that, the man began to laugh again. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. In fact, you should probably put that disk on. If she surrenders, the shock will kill her. As will removing the wires before the duel is over." Hearing that, Yami removed his/Bakura's school jacket and balled it up before laying Hotaru on the ground, the jacket serving as a pillow for her.

"You son of a bitch." Yami slid the duel disk on his wrist and stepped up to the field. "You just don't know your place, do you, you filthy dog? No one interferes with me and lives to tell the tale." He drew a fresh hand and leveled the man with a stare. "Do you understand, you miserable buffoon? I am the only one allowed to hurt her! That is my right and mine alone. Now you will suffer the consequences of having crossed me."

Within ten minutes, Yami had destroyed the remainder of the man's life points. The man fell to his knees, trembling at the icy glare in Yami's eyes. "You sniveling pathetic excuse of a life form." As he spoke he raised his right hand and faced the man with his palm. At once, a strong gust of wind blew through the room, seeming to come from his hand. "The door to darkness has been opened." At those words, the Egyptian Eye appeared on his outstretched palm and on his forehead. "Prepare for an eternity in the realm of darkness!" He roared.

As the Eye on his palm and forehead began to glow, Yami felt something cling to his back. Spinning around, he readied to attack, believing the first rare hunter to have been defeated was trying for a sneak attack. However, much to his surprise, it was Hotaru. Barely standing and with her trembling arms wrapped around his middle, she stared up at him with pleading, desperate eyes. "To return to home, Ryou-san. No to murder." Her voice was barely above a gasp, but Yami heard it as if she was screaming in his ear. "Please. I want no."

He sighed and lowered his palm, his other arm going around her waist to support her. Lowering, his head, he leveled himself with her ear. "I will not kill him. But I will not allow him to follow or try this stupid act again. Now sleep. You have done enough." At his words, her eyelids shut and she slumped forward against him. Satisfied that the girl was successfully under his spell, Yami snapped his fingers and again threw his palm towards the men. Instead of banishing their souls, as he would have liked, he sent a mental wave instead, effectively destroying the memories of both men from the past five years.

That done, Yami quickly slid Hotaru's deck in to his pocket, discarded the disk, reclaimed his jacket, and then scooped the girl into his arms, all in a few, fluid motions. He looked down at the girl in his arms and something inside of him stopped cold. _**What the hell did I just do? Did I just not only save this insolent girl, but I heeded her as well? What in the seven hells am I doing? **_Instantly, he tugged Bakura out of the Ring, returned the body to him, and retreated to the Ring without another word.

Bakura groaned, suddenly forced back into his body and he glanced down at the injured Hotaru that Yami had left in his arms. "That Yami, if he was going to regret it, he should have let me save her." He mumbled to himself as he tightened his grip on the girl and began to walk out of the warehouse. Regardless of the state that the ancient soul was in, Hotaru was not immortal and needed medical care immediately. The wires seemed to have fused themselves within her skin and a filthy warehouse was not the most ideal place to cut them off.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: _Thank you again so much for the reviews and to the people who have added this story to their favorites list. Hopefully this chapter meets your expectations_**. _**Please enjoy!**_

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Several hours later, Bakura awoke with a start. He was lying on a stiff dark blue couch and there was what appeared to be a white shower curtain surrounding him, hung on metal clips built into the walls. His head throbbed and he groaned, lifting a hand to inspect the injury. To his surprise, there was a crisp bandage circling his head.

At once, he remembered where he was and what had happened. After Yami had retreated into the Ring, Bakura carried Hotaru out of the warehouse and somehow convinced a taxi to pick them up, despite the bloody and battered state they were both in. Upon reaching the hospital, he had handed Hotaru to a nurse before collapsing from his own wound on to the ground.

"Aoimori! Where's Aoimori?" He gasped, shooting up and swinging his legs off the couch. A wave of nausea instantly hit him and he groaned again, holding his head. A nurse yanked back the curtain and surveyed him, an eyebrow raised. "Young man, I suggest you lay back down before you open your wound any further. You already lost a bit of blood from it, you don't want to lose anymore." She told him, stepping inside the curtain, looking prepared to push him over if she had to.

"Where's Aoimori? Is she okay?" Bakura asked, wincing as he raised his head to look at the nurse. "The girl you brought with you? She's stabilized. They've removed the wires and wrapped her up. She's sleeping over there." The nurse gestured to a space hidden from view by the curtain. "What in the world happened to you two?"

Bakura ignored the nurse's question, instead standing up and ripping back the curtain. Sure enough, in a bed up against the wall, Hotaru laid on her back, her eyes closed. Several different monitors were hooked up to her small body, each one beeping quietly.

Stumbling slightly, Bakura made his way over to her, his chest tightening at the sight of her. She had a mask on her face to help her breathe, her skin was an unhealthy twinge of gray, and she had large bruises on her arms, assumingly from catching Yami as he fell.

Against his better judgment, Bakura looked down at her legs. The nurse had left the blanket off of her and so her exposed legs revealed the damage they had suffered. There were thick white bandages wrapped around each leg, covering her from her ankles to just under the hem of her uniform skirt. Despite the thick bandages, Bakura caught a glimpse of the angry red welts the wires had burned into her skin.

Taking in all these details, his chest tightened even more, an anger beginning to fill his body. _What the hell did rare hunters want with her? She's new in this country and has very limited knowledge of duel monsters. Hell, I bet she doesn't have anything more than a basic starter deck!_

The Ring glowed warm against his skin for a brief moment. _**I don't know. Maybe we were the targets and the girl is an unfortunate casualty.**_ _Why? Why would they do that? It's not their style to involve more people than necessary. They should have left her in the alley! It should be me lying in this bed, not Aoimori! __**Bakura, get a grip. The rare hunters will use whatever means they decide they need to get what they want. And they don't care who they involve or who they piss off. **_

Bakura spun and leveled the nurse with a stare. "Will she be able to walk again? Will she heal okay?" He demanded, his hands gripping the metal railings attached to Hotaru's bed. The nurse nodded and smiled sympathetically. "She'll be alright. In fact, she should be able to walk as soon as tomorrow. It all depends on her pain tolerance. Her wounds aren't permanent. Your little friend will be okay." With that, the nurse finished checking Hotaru's monitors and with another smile, left the room.

As soon as she was gone, Yami reappeared in his shadow form. _**There. The girl will make it. Stop beating yourself up over something you had no control over.**_ _**What you should be doing, instead of worrying about this brat, is trying to find out why the rare hunters are attacking so soon. The next international tournament isn't for another six months at the least. No contestant is going to appear in Japan for at least four more months. So why now? **_

Bakura shook his head, unable to tear his eyes away from Hotaru's sleeping face. "I don't know and I don't care. I'm not participating in that tournament so they have no business with me. But they had no right to involve Aoimori with this.'

Yami sighed and crossed his arms, staring at his lighter half. It was obvious to him that his other soul was becoming quite attached to the small girl lying on the bed in front of them. And if he was reacting this way to what strangers did to her, Yami was slowly beginning to realize that Bakura would even protect her against him. That realization was not a happy one and something inside of him grew even colder. This girl was causing nothing but problems. If she hadn't been walking with Bakura, he would have been able to tell when the rare hunters were approaching and Yami would have been able to banish them to the eternal darkness with no hesitation, whatsoever.

And yet, she fought for them and then stopped him from fighting. Yami swore under his breath and looked away from the girl. He extremely disliked the effect that she was having on him and his lighter half. It was becoming more and more apparent that something had to be done to prevent any further interference from her.

While Yami contemplated and Bakura worried, Hotaru's eyelids fluttered and a small moan escaped her lips. At that small sound, both boys turned their attention to the bed. With some obvious difficulty, Hotaru opened her eyes, blinked, and focused them on Bakura.

"Ryou-san…Okay?" She asked quietly, her voice subdued from the painkillers coursing through her veins. Bakura smiled and nodded. "I'm okay. How are you feeling, Aoimori?" She blinked and glanced down at her own legs. "No to feel my legs." She murmured, glancing in Yami's direction. She did a double take, her eyes widening as she stared at Yami before glancing back at Bakura. "Ryou-san..two?" She mumbled, her eyes clouding.

As with the last time she noticed Yami in his shadowy form, the ancient soul began to panic and rage, drifting around the room in his building frenzy. Helpless, Bakura glanced at his darker half before carefully placing a hand on Hotaru's cheek and turning her head so that she was facing him. Her eyes were clouded and unfocused, staring vacantly over Bakura's shoulder. "Aoimori, listen to me. You're sedated; the drugs are making you see things. There is only one of me." He said, trying to make his voice as convincing and soothing as possible.

Hotaru stared at him for a moment before her eyes rolled back into her head and she drifted back to a medicated sleep sleep. At that, Bakura sighed and turned to face the Thief King. "What is the matter with you? Even if she can see you, its not like she understands what's going on. The only times she has seen you, she's been in a lot of pain. She either won't remember or think that she was just seeing things." Bakura explained, trying to calm down the angry spirit.

Yami glared at him and without saying a word, vanished within the Ring. _**Remember Bakura, I will wipe her memories and drive her from this country. Don't give me any further temptation.**_

Bakura shook his head and sat down in one of the hard plastic chairs near Hotaru's bed. He wasn't leaving any time soon due to two reasons; he didn't know the extent of his own injuries, and he wanted to confirm with his own eyes that Hotaru would honestly be okay. Soon enough, he nodded off to sleep, the only sound remaining in the room being the slight breathing from the two teenagers and the steady beats of the machines.

The next morning, having been discharged from the hospital, Bakura and Hotaru walked through the falling snow together. It was a school day, but by the time the two had woken up and the hospital deemed them suitable to leave, it was already so far in to the school day that it would have been pointless to show up then. So instead, after making a quick call to Yugi for the day's assignments, Bakura had offered to see Hotaru home. After all, her legs were still heavily bandaged and he worried that she would collapse in the snow from the pain if left on her own. At least, that's what he told himself when they began to walk.

"How are you feeling? Are you too cold?" Bakura asked, glancing at Hotaru out of the corners of his eyes. Hotaru smiled and nodded. "Yes Ryou-san. Three time, I okay. Warm coat of my." She said, looking down at her school issued black coat. Bakura nodded and shoved his hands further into his own black coat. Unfortunately, since the attack had happened after school and they both spent the night in the hospital, they were still wearing their uniforms from the day before.

"So where do you live exactly?" Bakura asked, this time turning his head so that he was looking straight at her. However, Hotaru hadn't heard him, instead she was walking with her head tilted up towards the falling snowflakes. Seeing her charcoal eyes wide with happiness and the blackness of her hair and outfit contrasting with the snow, Bakura felt a surge of warmth from his chest and up to his neck, causing him to look away from her quickly.

Noticing this, Yami glowered within the Ring. In his opinion, the least amount of time spent with that girl, the better. It would be best to stop before any further attachments were made or strengthened Unfortunately, Bakura didn't appear to share that opinion with him at that time.

After a couple of minutes, Hotaru grabbed Bakura's arm and tugged lightly in a different direction than from where they were going. "My house way there." She said with a smile. Bakura nodded and allowed her to lead him. As they walked, he realized with a start that her place was on his everyday route to school. While he grew momentarily happy with that knowledge, Yami silently groaned once it reached him. It was as if the fates were conspiring against him to keep this girl in his sight.

Halfway down the street, Hotaru stopped and pointed at a tall apartment building. "My house." She said, smiling again. "So you live in an apartment." Bakura commented, looking up at the building. Hotaru stared at him, a confused expression on her face. "A…par..tme..nt.." She sounded out the word, her nose scrunched slightly in concentration. "Apartment." Bakura said, smiling slightly at her serious face. "Apartment." Hotaru repeated, looking up at him. "Good, you got it." Bakura smiled again. At that, Hotaru's face lit up. "Apartment! My apartment!" She said, almost proudly.

_**She didn't even know what the building she lived in was called? Sweet Ra, this girl is stupid. **_Yami snorted. Bakura smacked the Ring beneath his shirt and inwardly glared. _Ease up a little, would you? Japanese is still difficult for her. She's improving, but it will take a while before she can speak it fluently. It took you a little bit, didn't it? __**Yeah. Two days. All I had to do was see everything you knew about the language. **__Whatever. Fine._

While the two had their inner conflict, Hotaru had kept her grip on Bakura's arm and had led him into the apartment's lobby area. It was simple with white tile floors and white walls. Vague paintings of flowers hung in available spaces, adding subdued splashes of color to the otherwise plain lobby. There was one set of silver elevator doors on one side of the lobby; across from it appeared to be the office of the landlord.

Realizing that Hotaru was leading him to the elevator, Bakura stopped and looked down at the smaller girl. "Is everything okay, Aoimori?" He questioned, not fully understanding the smaller girl's actions. "You to walk me. I to feed you." She said with a hopeful smile.

"Will your parents be okay with that?" Bakura asked, a little hesitant to go up to her apartment, but nonetheless, allowed the girl to lead him into the elevator. She glanced up at him as she pressed one of the buttons, causing the elevator to lurch to life. "No to care." She said with a shrug. Bakura blinked, not fully understanding her statement. She didn't care? Or her parents wouldn't care? And he couldn't think of another way to ask her without getting the same answer or confusing her.

At the fourth floor, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Stepping into the hallway, she led him to the third door on the right. After extracting a small metal key from her skirt pocket, she unlocked the door and stepped inside, motioning for him to follow her inside.

It was a small apartment. After stepping through the door, Bakura found himself looking at her living room area. It was a small tastefully decorated area to the right of the door with a black couch pushed against a wall, a wooden end table to the left of it and a tall black lamp to the right. Across from it was a small TV on a wooden stand.

To the left of the front door was her kitchen, supplied with the usual kitchen accessories. Only there was one counter with the sink built in, attached to a wall that was supposed to be the barrier between the living room and the kitchen. However, that wall was just the right height to be able to look over it into the living room. Further into the apartment looked to be a dead end hallway with a door on the left and a door on the right. Bakura assumed those to be her bedroom and the apartment's bathroom.

While he was looking around, Hotaru had hung up her coat and bag on metal hooks fastened to the wall in the living room and had returned to his side with her hands held out expectantly. Guessing at her motives, Bakura removed his coat and school bag and handed them over to her. After being rewarded with a smile, she hung them up and gestured to her couch.

"Please to sit, Ryou-san." She said as she started to walk into the kitchen. "Dinner I to make." He nodded and sat down on the couch, watching her as he leaned back into the comfortable cushions.

"Aoimori, do you live here by yourself?" He asked after a couple of minutes. Hotaru poked her head up over the counter. Unfortunately for her, she was about the same height as the counter, so it appeared that she was standing on the tips of her toes in order to see him. "Yes. My father in England." She said with a smile before going back to her cooking.

Judging by the clanging of pots on the counters that she would be too distracted to answer any more questions, Bakura decided to continue to survey what he could see of the apartment.

Upon closer inspection, none of the furniture looked like it had been used for very long. Even the few paintings of flowers on the walls looked like they had been modeled after a hotel lobby. Overall, the feeling of the apartment was very temporary and picturesque, as if a real person didn't actually live here, that it was just for show.

_**So what?**_ Yami mused from within the Ring. _**Your place looks like this too, only more for a male. Why do you care how she lives? **__I am just curious. I've never been in a girl's home before. I didn't know what to expect._

At Bakura's admission, Yami snorted but refrained from further speaking. After about ten more minutes with the only sounds being Hotaru clanging about in the kitchen, she left the kitchen carrying two large wooden plates.

Handing one to Bakura, she smiled hopefully. On the wooden plate was a smaller ceramic plate containing a cooked burger with a fried egg on top of it. "Is only Japanese food I to know to cook." She said_,_ still smiling her hopeful smile. Bakura smiled back as he accepted the wooden plate from her. "It looks delicious. I haven't had a hamburger steak with a fried egg in quite a while." He told her, earning another bright smile as she sat down next to him. _**Only because you can't cook eggs to save your own life. **_

Once they had eaten and after Bakura had persuaded Hotaru into letting him do the dishes in return for her cooking, the two sat on the couch, chatting amicably.

Hotaru asked him, to the best of her ability, about Japan and dueling. And Bakura asked her about England and the pronunciation difficulties that came from switching between English and Japanese.

"I to think English." Hotaru stated with a small shrug. "To translate in begin then to remember how to talk. Small hard but is fun." Bakura nodded. "I understand that." He told her, trying out his English. "I think in Japanese, so I have to translate faster in my head faster than I can talk."

As they sat there chatting, the lights in Hotaru's apartment flickered once before completely shutting off. She jumped up and ran to the window, pulling up the blinds. "Big snow." She said, her voice a little quiet with awe. Bakura stood up and looked as well. It was true, there were huge drifts moving down the street as snowflakes pelted the ground as fast as rain.

_**Shit….**Shit…._


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone who likes my story! I hope this chapter meets your expectations! Please enjoy!**

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Outside the window, the snow fell heavily, drowning the city in a thick white blanket as the wind screamed and howled, throwing the freezing mass even further. Cars were already being hidden and the sidewalks were completely empty of people. Even though it was now into early evening, Domino's citizens had clearly decided to remain where they were until the storm passed.

Standing behind Hotaru, Bakura stared at the snowstorm raging outside the thin paned glass window. While he had the same initial reaction as Yami, he had a very different motive behind his cursing.

With a storm this bad, the power out in her apartment, and with Hotaru in the condition that she was, leaving her alone was just not an option. In Bakura's mind, the only proper thing to do, and the only thing he really wanted to do, was to wait out the storm with Hotaru. Therefore allowing himself to insure that she would be protected during this storm.

However, Yami had a totally different take on this scenario. _**I will not be forced to spend any more time with this girl. Today was the only exception! Bakura, we are leaving now!**_ They had already breached the acceptable limit of time to spend with that girl. Yami didn't think he could tolerate another minute within her apartment, let alone the hours it could take until the storm cleared enough.

Before Bakura could answer, Hotaru turned around and stopped, looking up at him. He looked down at her and froze. Since he had come up behind her to look over her head at the storm, he was standing very close to her. Now that she had turned around and tilted her head up towards him, he was shocked to realize that the space between them was only a few inches. Feeling the heat creep up his neck, Bakura swallowed audibly, his eyes locked with Hotaru's.

Just when he thought that he wouldn't be able to stand staring into charcoal eyes any longer, Hotaru tilted her head to side and reached her hand up to Bakura's forehead. "Ryou-san, okay?" She questioned, her concern evident on her face. The spell broken, Bakura quickly bobbed his head. "Yes, Yes. I'm okay, Aoimori. I was so surprised by all the snow that I couldn't think straight for a moment. Sorry for worrying you." He rambled, his mind yelling him for him to stop talking.

A confused expression flickered across Hotaru's face, the expression that Bakura had come to associate with her lack of understanding of the Japanese language. However, she nodded and smiled, politely stepping around him. "To welcome to stay to wait, Ryou-san." She offered, gesturing back to the couch.

Relieved that he wouldn't have to ask her to stay, Bakura moved over to the couch and sank back down in to the cushions. _**Damn that girl…**_

Hotaru sat next to him on the couch and looked over at him. "We to keep to talk?" Bakura, still at a loss of words, still able to feel the heat from her body from standing so close to her, was only able to nod slightly. As he thought about how close they were, he began to feel a warmth crawl up his neck and he quickly shook his head. He couldn't think about that when he was sitting next to her in a small apartment!

_**You shouldn't be thinking about her like that at all, you fool**_. Yami grumbled, his displeasure growing with the passing second. As Bakura and Hotaru started to chat again, he glowered at his lighter half, sparing a couple of glares to throw at the girl. This situation was getting worse by the second and he was slowly losing control over it. And for the Thief King, losing control over anything was not something that he easily tolerated.

And Yami's anger only grew as the hours passed by and the storm only continued to worsen. At one point, Hotaru left the living room to check her bandages and he seized the opportunity to berate his lighter half. _**What the hell are we still doing here? Don't you realize how bad this is! You are letting this girl get too close! She is not to know about me or Ring! Remember our deal!**_

_We are still here because I will not leave Aoimori alone in the dark in a snowstorm. And so what if I'm becoming attached to her? I'm allowed to make friends aren't I? And besides, its our fault that she's injured. I won't let her be hurt anymore._

Yami growled, his anger towards Bakura increasing as his hatred of Hotaru tripled. As he suspected, Bakura was even willing to compromise their relationship to protect the girl. What he couldn't figure out though, was why Bakura was willing to do that. What had the girl done to him to make him this way? And when did she get the chance to do so?

A couple of more minutes passed before Hotaru returned to the couch. "Everything okay?" Bakura asked, his eyes examining her bandages. She nodded and a faint blush grew on her cheeks as she watched Bakura stare at her legs. "Ryou-san. To look here." She said, clapping her hands on the sides of her face. At that, Bakura's face grew red as well and he shook his head. "N-no! It's not what you think! I wasn't meaning that to be bad or anything! I swear!" He stuttered, his hands waving frantically. Hotaru giggled and nodded her head, waving her own hand.

Embarrassed, Bakura stared down at his knees, his fists clenched. He normally didn't have such a difficult time talking with girls. He was fine with Anzu and Miho anyways. But with Hotaru..it was like he couldn't remember how to speak and nothing mattered if she didn't like it. Even though he couldn't figure out why he was feeling this way, Bakura decided that he preferred life with this feeling than to how life was before Hotaru.

"So..Aoimori? What do you want to do until the lights come back on?" He asked, turning to her with a smile on his face. A smile that twitched when he realized that Hotaru had slumped into the corner of the couch, her chin tilted down and her eyes closed. With a sigh, Bakura leaned back and ran his hand through his hair. "She could've said something if she was worn out.." He said with a smile as he glanced over at her.

_**Leave now. She's asleep. I highly doubt she'll wake up again during the night. And it's warm enough in here that she won't freeze to death. Now let's go.**_ Yami demanded, sounding very impatient and irritated.

"Be quiet.." Bakura mumbled aloud as he yawned and tilted his head back so that it was resting on the cushion. "Its too cold to walk home." At that, he drifted off to sleep, leaving a frustrated Thief King to swear harshly.

Taking advantage of Bakura's state, the Ring glowed and Yami quickly took control and pushed Bakura's soul into the Ring. Asleep, he figured the teen wouldn't even notice that he lost control of his body once more. In control, Yami stood up and towered over the sleeping form of Hotaru. The limited light filtering in through the window cast a shadow over him, leaving only the icy coldness of his eyes visible.

Silently, he stepped over to Hotaru and reached down, locking his large hands around her slender and delicate neck. It was for the sake of the peace they had reached, Yami told himself as he began to squeeze. He and Bakura had obtained a stable relationship with Yugi and Atemu, Kaiba had stopped trying to destroy everyone through duels, and minus the occasional rare hunter, it was as if even the world seemed to be at peace. And this balance was being interrupted by the presence of the very girl whose life he was slowly stealing away.

Feeling his hands tremble, he began to apply more pressure on her neck, both trying to make her death quick and end his shaking. However, while he was trying to retain control over his hands, Hotaru's eyes flew open and she stared at him with wide eyes. Whether it was from shock or lack of oxygen, she didn't move, just sat there staring, completely frozen.

Finding his eyes locked in that charcoal colored gaze, Yami too froze, his hands remaining around her neck but no longer squeezing. "Why…."She gasped out after a moment passed. Hearing her quiet inquiry, Yami leapt away from her as if she had burned him. Feeling tremors run through his body, he raised his hand and faced with her his palm. Once more, the Egyptian Eye appeared and the strange wind swirled around the room. "Sleep. Put your memories to rest." He commanded, watching as the girl's eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped down on the couch.

Seeing that his spell worked, Yami backed against the wall and sank to the floor, staring at his hands. _**Why couldn't I finish her? I was so close! So what if she was awake? I have killed so many more in so many worse ways! Why did I hesitate?**_ The ancient spirit was panicked. He had never had a problem ending a life before, and yet, she had stopped him from taking hers with only a look and a word. What the hell kind of power did this girl possess? Something within the center of his being began to freeze, the icy coldness not unlike the feeling he had before whenever the girl came to mind.

Shaking his head, the Ring glowed and he ripped Bakura out and shoved him back into the body, not caring if he woke him or not. All he wanted to do was return to the quiet labyrinth that was waiting for him inside.

Suddenly forced back into his body, Bakura groaned and looked around. He was sitting on the floor and Hotaru was lying on the couch, appearing to be completely asleep. A glance outside the window revealed that it was still snowing heavily outside and the sun had set while the two had slept. Sighing, Bakura glanced down at the Ring.

_What's wrong? Why did you decide to come out? And what made you retreat so fast? _He questioned, trying to reach the spirit. _**Nothing happened. Just know that that girl needs to be taken care of. She's becoming too much trouble.**_ Yami's voice sounded both distant and shaken. Bakura started, his hand grabbing the Ring. Something had happened and the spirit clearly didn't want to talk about it. But he was concerned now; it took a lot to unsettle the Thief King. Whatever happened between Hotaru and Yami couldn't be good.

Standing up, Bakura moved over to Hotaru, his eyes carefully examining her. There weren't any marks on her, and other than a slightly ragged breathing, she seemed to be okay. Chalking the ragged breathing to be caused by the pain in her legs, Bakura sighed and carefully placed a hand on the sleeping girl's head, watching her peaceful sleeping expression.

After a moment, he took a pillow from the other end of the couch and spread out on the floor, a little ways away from Hotaru. Whatever had happened, it would wait until morning, he reasoned as he drifted back off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: I am so sorry for taking so long to update! I allowed classes to dominate all of my free time and for that I apologize! I hope to be able to do quite a bit of updating while I have some time off. So I really hope this chapter is worth the wait!**_

At one point in the middle of the night, the snow had finally stopped falling, thus allowing the snow plows to drive through the streets. By the time the city was ready to awaken, it had been turned into a neat, easy to walk through, winter wonderland.

Outside of Hotaru's apartment, people were beginning their morning routes, enraptured by the snow piled on the sides of the streets, hanging off the trees, and the icicles that adorned everywhere the snow could not stick.

Inside her apartment, she was the first one to wake. Sitting up on the couch, she rubbed her eyes and looked around herself in a daze. In her half-awake stage, she couldn't remember why she was sleeping on the couch or why she was still in her school uniform.

However, a throbbing pain shooting up her legs and the soft breathing from across the room forced her memory back. Gingerly touching her legs, she looked over at the sleeping form of Bakura lying on the floor. "He stayed the whole night?" She muttered quietly to herself in English, a small smile forming on her face.

Carefully, she stood up and with a slight wince, began to walk. First, she glanced at the clock; luckily, it was still early enough to clean up for school and not be late. Another bonus of living so close to the school, she thought as she turned back to Bakura. Quietly stepping over to him, she crouched beside him and started to reach out her hand.

Her hand hesitated over his shoulder as she looked at his sleeping face. Normally, she thought he had a pleasant face, but he had such a peaceful and relaxed expression on his face that she couldn't help but stare at him. A moment passed and she lightly touched his shoulder. "Ryou-san…Morning.." She said quietly, pressing on his shoulder.

Slowly, Bakura opened his eyes and stretched, yawning while he did so. "Ryou-san, morning!" Hotaru said cheerfully, a little louder now that he was awake. Bakura yawned again and sat up, giving her a sleepy smile. "Good morning Aoimori." He replied with another yawn, causing Hotaru to laugh quietly. "No morning Ryou-san?" She asked as she stood up and stretched as well.

Bakura smiled and followed her lead, also standing up. "Sometimes. But it's hard to be fully rested after sleeping on the floor." He told her with a slight shrug. Hotaru stared at him with a blank face before nodding once. Seeing that, Bakura had to bite his mouth to keep from laughing. It was obvious to him that she didn't understand but didn't want him to know.

_**You're awake. She's awake. Let's get the hell out of here!**_ Yami growled from inside the Ring_. What's gotten into you? You made it through the night; can't you wait another couple of minutes? _Bakura asked, slightly surprised by the Ancient Spirit. While he was normally in a bad mood around Hotaru and not the best morning person in the world, he was rarely this irritated so soon after waking. _**No. I do not want to be around this girl any longer than I have to. **_Yami declared

"Breakfast, Ryou-san?" Hotaru staring up at him interrupted the inner dialogue, her large eyes locking with his. Bakura swallowed audibly, noting how close she was standing next to him. Even now, half-awake, he couldn't help but be very much aware of her, how close she was or what her expressions were.

_**Damn it, Bakura! I said enough!**_ Yami growled, causing the Ring to glow. Without a warning, he shoved Bakura inside of it and claimed their shared body. Now towering over the girl, he fixed her with a deadly and icy cold glare.

"You will stay away from me." He commanded, moving closer to her. Instinctively, Hotaru began to back away as he advanced. This continued until she felt her back hit the wall, leaving her trapped. Yami threateningly raised his fist and she flinched, her eyes closing as she braced herself to be hit.

Instead, she felt a rush of air next to her face and heard a loud thud against the wall. Opening her eyes, she saw that he had punched the wall right above her head and was now leaning over her, his eyes glaring down into hers.

"Do you understand?" He growled, his eyes narrowing as he raised his other hand and placed it on her neck, his thumb pressing against her pulse. Hotaru blinked, her eyes widening as she stared back up at him. Her frozen face revealed how her startled mind was frantically trying to understand the situation.

"Why?" She whispered finally, eerily echoing the events of the previous night. Once more, Yami's eyes widened as that question hit straight at the ice in the core of his being. His hand burned, as if beneath her flesh a fierce fire blazed while her eyes held his, locking him in place.

"Why?" Hotaru repeated. However, she didn't move or raise her hand, or even blink. All she could do was stand still and stare at him. Yami too, could only stare back at her, feeling as if he had become disconnected from his body.

At once, it felt as if he had been punched in the brain as memories from the time he was alive surged back. Almost as if it were a slide show on the fastest setting, images blurred one after the other in front of his eyes. A burning town, corpses piled high, a chest full of precious stones and jewels. One set of images kept repeating; long black hair trailing down the back of a slender girl, a lightly tanned neck seemingly too frail for its only task in life, and blood red lips moving without sound.

Breathing heavily, Yami stepped away from the Hotaru and turned his back to her while his hands clutched at his head. It had been so long since he had been alive, some of his memories had to be shoved aside as he learned more and more about the modern world. This unexpected barrage was painful; the memories forcing their way to be front and center.

As he battled for control of his mind, Hotaru had snapped out of her own shock and stepped over to him, hesitantly reaching a hand to his shoulder. The second she made contact; Yami whirled to face her, his hands grasping her upper arms. His eyes were wild with the sudden surge of emotion; he pulled her to himself, crushing her against his chest. "Please forgive me Amunet…Forgive me…" He murmured into her hair, his hands clutching at her. Hotaru froze, unable to understand his words, and therefore, further confused by his actions.

Only a few seconds had passed before Hotaru attempted to move. While still unable to comprehend the situation, she raised a hand to touch his neck. In her mind, Bakura could have caught a fever, sleeping on the floor after yesterday's stress. Maybe it was the fever driving his mood changes and startling behavior?

However, at her touch, Yami immediately slumped forward against her, his eyes closing. Shaking under his unconscious weight, Hotaru managed to shove him so that he fell on the couch before her injured legs buckled and dropped her on the floor. The sudden impact sent such a shock of pain up her legs that her eyes rolled back into her head and she too, slumped forward, driven unconscious by her pain.

Drifting back into the Ring, Yami saw that his memories had taken a slightly tangible form within the spirit's place, both allowing him to examine them and forcing him to acknowledge all of them. Taking a breath, he crossed his arms and glanced at the first one, trying to place when and where the memory had happened.

In the first memory displayed to him, he was back in Ancient Egypt, wearing his typical garb of the Thief King. He was standing atop a large hill, overlooking a small, but wealthy town. Next to him was a small girl, barely coming above his elbows in height, but somehow he knew that she was only a lunar cycle or two younger than him. She had long black hair, so silky soft as it cascaded down to her waist. Her skin was paler than the norm for the town she lived in, the color of the virgin sand in the uncharted areas of the desert. She was dressed in a short tunic, the ties at both shoulders and the hem stopping short of her knees, revealing her bare legs and feet.

In the memory, he turned to the girl at the same instant she turned to him. Upon making eye contact, she smiled the kindest smile he had ever seen. _**"Amunet…"**_ Without being forced, Yami recalled her name, thinking about how it suited this shy, quiet, little creature. At once, the next memory came into view.

It was the same hill, but now he held the girl in his arms, her trembling body folding perfectly into his. The wind blew her hair to the side, along with the slight draping of his own clothing. She tilted her face up to his, her mouth moving but unable to make an audible sound.

Then the memories came faster and faster; holding the girl once more atop the hill, kissing her in a temple, holding her hand in the moonlight. She had known what he was, known what he did and had done. And she still turned to him again and again with her kind smile and loving eyes. The memories continued to fly faster now, becoming violent flashes. The city on fire, people screaming as blood ran through the streets. The girl was lying atop that very hill, her hair streaming around her. Her once white tunic was now the color of blood, both fresh and dried. His hands closed around her throat while her eyes stared straight into his, her mouth moving frantically, but unable to make a sound.

With a gasp, Yami shot himself out of the Ring, away from his tangible memory's grasp. Dazed, he looked around himself, not recognizing where he was. "Are you happy now, you idiot?" At that familiar voice, he turned and noticed that he was in his shade form while Bakura possessed their body. Upon further inspection, they were back in Bakura's apartment, in their room to be more precise.

"_**What are you talking about?"**_ Yami asked, still reeling from his forced trip down memory lane. That girl…He had all those memories of a girl like that and didn't know it. What was even more troubling was that Hotaru of all people had caused those memories to resurface.

"You know exactly what." Bakura's sharp tone drew Yami's focus, forcing him to shove his own thoughts to the back of his mind. "You terrified Aoimori! You threatened her, broke down, and collapsed on her! As soon I escaped the Ring, I saw her! She had fainted from fear of you! When she came to, she looked at me with the worst expression! As if I had killed someone or was preparing to kill her! Do you realize what you've done?"

As he listened to Bakura rant, a small smirk formed on Yami's face. Assuming his arms crossed, confident stance, he faced Bakura with his cold smirk and even colder glance. _**"I know what I did. Exactly what I told you I would do. You allowed her to get too close and so I made it so she would never want to be near you again."**_

Bakura's expression darkened and without a word, reached up, untied the necklace, and allowed the Ring to drop to the floor. Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind himself.

Left alone with his thoughts, Yami drifted around the room, glowering to himself. Thanks to a pact he made with Bakura, he couldn't go further then the room the Ring was in unless it was where Bakura was going or if he had taken control over Bakura's body. So in a sense, he had been sentenced to his room and left there.

Ignoring the indignation that swelled up at that thought, Yami instead focused on the newly discovered memories of that girl and himself. Even from what the memories showed him, he still couldn't place how he knew her then, or what the connection, if there even was one, was with Hotaru. All he knew for sure was that she had known him while he was alive and he had seen her die while that town shown in the memory was destroyed. Yet, his chest grew cold as his thoughts lingered on how Hotaru had now twice stopped him from doing what he deemed to be necessary.

Out in the living room, Bakura sat on the couch, his head in his hands. He could not believe what Yami had had the nerve to do to Hotaru. He knew the spirit had been threatening to do so, but he had thought the Thief King had trusted him enough not to reveal anything to Hotaru. Yet, he had gone along and terrified the girl. All she could do when Bakura woke up was point to the door with a trembling finger and wince if he stepped too close to her.

Even now, just picturing the absolute horror in her eyes made him clench his fists in anger. On one hand, he understood why the spirit had felt the need to do so. On the other, he couldn't forgive his darker half for taking matters in to his own hands like that. How could he explain this to Hotaru? On that matter, how could he ever approach her again for fear of seeing her cringe at the sight of him?

As he sat there contemplating, the phone rang, startling him to the point he jumped to his feet. He picked up the phone, and before he could get a word out, his eyes widened at the words his caller. Slamming the phone back down, he raced to the bedroom and snatched his deck off his bed and the Ring off the floor. At Yami's questioning look, he jerked his thumb towards the door. "Yugi just called. The school received a disturbing photo of Aoimori five minutes ago. The time stamp is eight a.m. of this morning." Bakura had left the frightened girl's apartment at exactly a quarter to eight. It was now eight-thirty. "The rare hunters found her."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note: Alright, I've managed to write another chapter! I hope it meets everyone's expectations. Please enjoy!**_

* * *

Bakura ran through the city, his falling footsteps muffled by the thick snow carpeting the sidewalk. Next to him, Yami drifted along in his shadow form. "How could they have found her?" Bakura panted as he rounded a corner, nearly skidding on the snow.

Yugi had told him that the picture had been taken on a Polaroid, and that it was a picture of Hotaru with ropes binding her arms and a blindfold over her eyes, but that was all the information he could give him on the phone. The school hadn't allowed any of the students to see the picture, instead they only wanted to identify her. Since the school was taking too much time to alert any authorities, Yugi had told Bakura that he and the rest of their friends would meet Bakura at the town square where they could devise their own plan to rescue her.

**"**_**Damn it. Can't that girl just stay out of trouble for one fucking day?" **_Yami growled, his expression dark. _"Don't you even start."_ Bakura warned, not glancing at his other half while he continued to race through the snow. _"If you hadn't scared the hell out of her, I would have been able to protect her."_

Yami crossed his arms, but remained silent. He couldn't understand, but the ice inside him grew colder as he pictured all the heinous acts the rare hunters could be doing to Hotaru while they wasted time running. _**"Fuck! Why am I worried about this girl! I want her dead!**_" He should be happy that someone was going to do the job for him. Maybe that was it; he wanted to be the one to put an end to her and someone was moving in on his claim. That had to be it, he reasoned.

Noting with relief that Yami had decided to be quiet, Bakura pumped his legs faster. The snow and ice prevented him from running as fast as he possibly could, but he was giving it everything he had to meet up with his friends. With Yugi and Jonouchi, they were sure to be able to find her and hold off the rare hunters long enough for help to arrive.

_**"Bakura, I'll go on ahead."**_ Yami said suddenly, causing Bakura to almost slip on the ice.

_"What?" _ **"You go meet with everyone. I'll go on in this form. I can cover much more ground than the rest of you."** At that, Yami exerted some of his strength and detached from the Ring.

It was a temporary detachment and it took massive amounts of energy to hold. Yami reasoned with his strength, he'd be able to remain separates from Bakura for about ten minutes. After that, he would lose consciousness and return to the Ring, where he would then be weak for the next couple of days. It was a tiring trick, but useful if the Ring were to ever be forcibly taken from Bakura.

Free from Earthly restraint, Yami drifted up to the building tops and quickly surveyed the city. Domino wasn't as large as Tokyo, but it was no village either. There were plenty of corporate office buildings, residential areas, and stores to provide adequate hiding places. However, since they were close to the ocean, there was also an ample supply of warehouses, smaller storage units, and even ships. Three teenagers and two Ancient Spirits would be hard pressed to search everything thoroughly before something deadly happened to Hotaru.

With his arms crossed, Yami pondered where he would hide a prisoner. If it was someone he had been seeking, had weakened, and managed to subdue, he would need to be able get that person in and out of the hiding spot without being seen by the public. So that ruled out any open residential areas or public shops without alleys. If the person were to be tortured, it would have to be insulated and well isolated so that no one would be able to hear and report the screams.

A minute passed in this fashion before Yami turned and flew over to the warehouses. It was a cliché of the rare hunters, but the warehouses served their purposes. The next few minutes were spent with Yami searching each building. Finding nothing, he was about to turn and try somewhere else before his time was up until he noticed something odd about the second to last building. In the warehouse district, all the supply vans were the same uniform color, probably some corporate logo or what not. However, this warehouse had a different, unmarked van hidden from the general view.

Drifting into that building, Yami froze at the sight before him: hooded rare hunters in the middle of the warehouse surrounded Hotaru. She had been forced to kneel on the ground with her hands tied behind her back and a gag tied around her mouth. One of the rare hunters approached her and grabbed her by her hair, lifting her slightly off the ground only to smack her hard enough with his other hand to send her flying back down. All of them were laughing as each one took a turn in hitting the girl.

"You sure gave us one hell of a chase, you little bitch!"

"And to not even have a deck on you! What a waste of time!"

Even though they were screaming at her and beating her, Hotaru just stared up at them, her eyes blank. It was impossible to determine whether it was due to her inability to understand them or if they had been hitting her for so long that she had become numb to it.

As he watched this, Yami felt an icy fire engulf him, his hands clenching into fists. He drifted down so that he was standing in front of Hotaru, but in his transparent state, he couldn't do anything. However, when one of the rare hunters knocked Hotaru onto her face and reached for her skirt, Yami felt something inside of him snap.

The Millennium Eye appeared on his forehead, arms, and palms, filling the air with tempest winds as the Eyes glowed a brilliant gold. The winds engulfed him and Hotaru, spinning faster and faster while the rare hunters cried out in surprise. Then, as soon as they appeared, the winds vanished, leaving Yami standing in a physical form in front of Hotaru.

Yami glanced down at himself in surprise, but instead of pondering it, he reached for the rare hunter closest to Hotaru and slammed his foot in to the man's face, knocking him to the ground. Where Yami then proceeded to kick the man in the ribs, sending him halfway across the warehouse where he laid on the ground, a moaning lump of flesh.

"You miserable pieces of shit." Yami grounded out, turning towards the rest of the rare hunters. " Just how fucking stupid can you be?" He began to walk, cracking his knuckles the entire time. "I told you filthy mutts before; This girl is mine and mine alone. It is my right to harm her. Not yours. Let's see if you can fucking comprehend the consequences of your stupidity." As he spoke, a twisted smile appeared on Yami's face while the Millennium Eyes appeared on his outstretched palms. "The door to darkness has been opened. Prepare to die, you bastards."

* * *

On the other side of town, Bakura was canvassing the area with his classmates. After having met up, they had all decided it would be best if they remained relatively close to each other. After having been defeated once already, there was no telling what the rare hunters would be capable of doing, so common sense dictated staying together.

"Yami sure is taking a long time.." Bakura commented to Yugi as he glanced down alleys and into shop windows. Yugi, also checking alleys and every building front, glanced at him. "He's never been this far away for so long, right? Even Atemu would have trouble with that." As the two boys talked, a shooting pain burst into Bakura's chest, causing him to double over with his arms wrapped around himself. It felt as if his flesh and rib cage were being torn and blasted apart.

"Bakura! Bakura, what's wrong?" Yugi questioned, running over to his friend's side, his hands moving to his shoulders for support. Under Bakura's shirt, the Millennium Ring was glowing white-hot and it appeared to be digging into his chest. "Its Yami….He's escaped the Ring.." Bakura moaned, his hands clutching his chest, trying to separate the Ring from his flesh. "S-s-s-separated? H-how is that possible? Won't he die?" Yugi stuttered out, his surprise evident on his face.

"I don't know….But he did it…" Bakura groaned, snatching the Ring by its chain and ripping it off his neck. Now removed from his flesh, its glow softened, but its links shuttered before all pointing towards the other side of town. Staring at it for a moment, Bakura glanced at Yugi. "But I think I know how to find him.."

* * *

In the warehouse, Yami was sadistically laughing as he banished each rare hunter into the shadow realm. "Enjoy an eternity in darkness!" He roared as the last screams of the rare hunters vanished, as did the Eyes covering his body.

He turned around and knelt next to Hotaru, tugging the gag from her mouth while pulling her up right. "Hold still." He commanded while he undid the ropes binding her arms. They had been tied so tightly that if she had struggled in the slightest, they would have broken through her delicate skin.

Once the ropes were undone and piled around them, Yami gripped Hotaru's upper arms and stood, pulling her to her feet. Taking a step back, he meant to survey the damages done by the rare hunters. However, he was caught off guard by the tears building up in her eyes.

"Are you hurt that badly?" He asked, his eyes searching her body, trying to find the wound that was paining her so much. Instead of answering him, Hotaru moved so that her face was in his chest and her hands were clutching at his shirt. "Scared…Really scared.." She said quietly, her voice full of unshed tears and her shoulders shaking with the effort not to cry.

At a loss, Yami stared down at the top of her head while she continued to press her face to his chest, her whole body trembling. Hesitantly, he raised his arms, wrapping one around her waist and the other around her shoulders so that he could place a hand on the back of her head and press her closer to his chest. "It's okay, Hotaru. I'ts okay. They're all gone now. They can't hurt you anymore." He murmured, his hand stroking her hair. At his words, she couldn't hold back anymore and began sobbing, her hands clutching tighter at his shirt.

After what had happened this morning between her and Bakura (Yami) and the treatment the rare hunters forced her to endure, Hotaru simply couldn't handle anymore. All of her unease, confusion, anxiety, and fear that had welled up through the day came bursting out. Even though he had frightened her this morning, he had saved her, and that was cause enough for her to seek comfort from him.

Yami, on the other hand, stood still as possible and just let her cry. It wasn't in his nature to keep offering condolences, nor did he believe the girl would hear them over her own tears anyways. So he stroked her hair and held her close until her sobs finally quieted.

Another moment passed before Hotaru raised her tear stained face to stare up at Yami. "Why?" She asked, tears still in her eyes. Yami sighed as he met her gaze. "Trust me, even if I knew, I doubt you'd understand." He told her. His statement was proven correct when she bit her lower lip and stared up at him, her head tilting. However, she wasn't given a chance to translate his sentence; her legs began to violently shake and she had to hold herself up by his shirt.

Seeing this, Yami sighed again and picked up the girl bridal-style, carefully minding her injured legs. "Just sleep, Hotaru. You don't have to do anymore today." He told her as he began to walk out of the warehouse. At his words, she stared up at him until the light faded from her eyes and she slumped against him, finally succumbing to her exhaustion.

As he carried her out of the warehouse, Yugi and Bakura rounded the corner down the street and stopped at the sight of him. However, Bakura only remained still for a moment before he broke into a run again and this time he didn't stop until he was only an inch or two away from Yami's face. "You bastard..What the hell did you do to her?" Bakura growled, his anger surprising both Yami and Yugi. His lighter half rarely became angry, almost to the point where Yami believed that he carried the anger for both himself and his other half.

"What did you do to the Ring?" He continued as he reached his hands out for Hotaru. "Don't touch her." Yami's voice was colder than usual and he fixed Bakura with a murderous glare. "I did what I had to do to destroy the rare hunters." He said as he took a step back from Bakura and tightened his grip on the sleeping girl. "I didn't destroy the link, I only took enough of your life's energy to manifest a body. When it runs out, everything, including your energy will be restored." As he spoke, Hotaru reached up a pale hand and grabbed his collar, moving her face closer to his chest.

Seeing that, Bakura blanched and shuddered. He couldn't explain it, only that he wanted to be the one she was clinging to, so trustingly. "Go explain to the school." Yami's words snapped him out of his train of thoughts. "What?" "Go explain to the school that she is safe and will not be attending class today." Yami said, his voice growing annoyed. " I will take her back to our apartment." "Why?" Bakura burst out, surprised by the Ancient Spirit. "I will be the one to kill her. If she dies by injuries at the hands of others, it is unacceptable. So I will treat those wounds and send her on her way." At that, Yami turned on his heel and strode away from the two dumbstruck teenagers.

"What the…Did Yami just admit to protecting her and wanting to treat her wounds?" Yugi managed to say after a few minutes. Bakura looked at him, his shock clearly written on his face. " I think so…What is he planning?" He mumbled, crossing his arms as he watched the Thief King disappear around the corner. "Nothing we can really do about it now, without provoking him, that is. So we might as well go tell the school before they send the police after her." Yugi reasoned, placing a hand on his friend's arm. Another minute passed before Bakura nodded and two turned and began to head to the school. As they walked, Bakura's thoughts raced back and forth through his head.

He was relieved that Hotaru had been rescued, but he didn't like the fact that Yami had been the one to rescue her again. He didn't trust the spirit to be alone with her, but he couldn't disprove Yami's logic of explaining to the school either. Bakura was beginning to hate how Yami was becoming more involved with Hotaru, even as the Thief King warned and threatened Bakura to stay away from her.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's note: Thank you very much to everyone who is reading this story! Your reviews all mean so much to me. So, I hope you like this chapter!**_

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A brief moment of hesitation was all it took for Yami to decide his course of action. He ran through the alleys of Domino City with the unconscious Hotaru in his arms. He had reasoned that her apartment was the closer one and had more hidden ways of accessing it then the painfully public apartment complex he shared with Bakura.

As he ran, Yami kept a careful grip on Hotaru to minimize the shock to her legs. In the ten minutes it took to run from the warehouse to Hotaru's apartment, Yami's brain had completely stopped cooperating with him. He had rescued her twice now, after twice threatening her life. Twice, he had become enraged upon learning that someone else had hurt her. There's an old saying: what happens twice will happen thrice. The only problem was, Yami didn't know how to prevent himself from reacting the same way.

Reaching her apartment, Yami shifted the girl in his arms so that he could reach his hand inside of the front pocket of her skirt. His eyes focused on the ceiling, he gingerly searched until he found the small metal key and withdrew his hand quickly, not once glancing at her face. Unlocking the door, he stepped inside and kicked it shut behind himself.

Not willing to deal with another surprise attack, he placed her on the couch before he locked the door and firmly wedged a chair under the handle to slow any unwelcome intruder. That done, he turned back to the girl and sighed.

"What the hell am I doing?" He groaned, pushing his hair back from his face with one hand while the other rested on his hip. "I should have let them kill her. There would've been a real explanation and Bakura wouldn't have been able to blame me."

As he spoke, he crossed Hotaru's living room until he was towering over the unmoving girl. "Who are you? What have you done to me?" He demanded, now glaring down at her. "I am the Thief King, the most feared murderer in Egypt. You will have no power over me." Yami declared, his hand again reaching for her throat.

However, Hotaru's small hand shot up and snatched his hand, pulling on him slightly as she rolled over on the couch so that she was lying on her side. Her second hand reached up and she clasped his hand in between hers, tugging him until their hands stopped above her heart. This tugging had caught Yami off guard and he had been forced to one knee right next to her.

When he tried to remove his hand from her grasp, she tightened her hold and a small frown crossed her features. Sighing, Yami sat down cross-legged and stared in annoyance at her. "Cheeky little girl. Don't assume you're safe simply because you're injured and sleeping."

Yet, even as he said that, something inside of him made him sit still and allow the girl to hold his hand. There was no explaining it, but while he sat there with her sleeping face in front of him, Yami could feel the ice within him recede a small fraction. Normally, this would have caused him to panic once more, but the events of the day were catching up with him as well. While he would never cry like Hotaru had, he was simply too fed up to handle anything more for the moment.

At once, the storm of memories were back, assailing Yami in waves, causing him to groan and place his free hand over his eyes as if that would prevent the mental images from forming. Just as it had happened previously, the memories flew in front of him like a slide show, still too fast for him to make out anything more than the basic image. Until finally, one memory shoved itself front and center, blocking everything else.

It was that same hill again. In this memory, Yami was able to see that it really did overlook the entire town and it had a single tree determinedly growing near the peak. Leaning against this tree was that girl again. She was wearing that same short tunic and was still barefoot, only this time; she had managed to tie back her long tresses with a scrap of cloth.

Then Yami saw himself approach the hill, wearing the voluminous robes, leather sandals and the draping head covering which completed his Thief King appearance. Upon seeing him, a joyous smile broke out on the girl's face and she pushed herself off the tree so that she could sprint to him.

Through his mind's eye, Yami watched his past self spread one arm to the side just as the girl threw herself at him, her arms wrapping around his torso. He brought his arm down around her back, drawing her closer to him. Yami was startled to see a soft expression on his past self's face as he looked down at the girl in his arms. A moment passed and she took a small step back so that she could look up at him. With his arm still around her, she withdrew her hands so that she could reach for his other and gently pulled it up so that his hand was resting against her heart.

At once, the memories snapped like a broken film and Yami found himself back in Hotaru's living room, breathing heavily. Hotaru's eyes were open and she was staring at him, but she hadn't released his hand, indicating that his reaction had only just woken her.

Yami tore his hand away from her and pulled himself to his knees, his hands going to his head. "Who are you?" He demanded, his voice frantic. Unable to understand his words but catching his tone, Hotaru sat up and moved back slightly as if she were preparing to run if he attempted to strangle her again.

Instead, Yami stared at the floor, shaking his head while hands clutched at his hair. What were those memories? Why couldn't he remember ever having a reaction to that girl, let alone ever having met her? "What are you doing to me?" He was almost shouting now, his eyes finally darting up to lock with hers. Suddenly, his hands shot towards her, causing Hotaru to flinch in surprise as his hands grabbed hers.

"Why? Why don't I remember this? Why don't I remember… Amunet? And why are you making me remember?" He asked her, his voice almost pleading while his eyes held a sort of frantic desperation. "Why? Why can't I kill you?" This was almost said at a whisper.

Hotaru had remained quiet during his outburst but now she slid off the couch so that she was kneeling in front of him. Tentatively, she pulled one of her hands away to touch his shoulder. "I not to know what you to say…" She murmured as she looked at him, her eyes startling calm. "But..please..I to help you no to hurt..." Hotaru was stumbling over the Japanese words and she shook her head, her frustration evident with her own inability to communicate.

"You are not Ryou-san, that much I can figure on my own." She said, finally giving up on Japanese and switching to English. Even though she could guess he wouldn't be able to understand her, she still felt the need to speak, regardless of the language. "I don't know who you are, but I do know this. You have saved me twice now and for that, my life is yours." Hotaru spoke quietly, remembering the moral of an old story she had read once as a child that went something like 'If one saves another, it then becomes the obligation to repay the deed either with the saved life or the life-long protection of the saver'.

"My life to you..…if to help you no to hurt…" Hotaru murmured, switching back to Japanese. When she had spoken in English, Yami had just stared at her, unable to understand her. When she resumed her Japanese, his eyes widened as she took his hands and placed them on her neck, all the while wearing a kind yet sorrowful smile on her face.

"What stupid Western ideology is that?" Yami gasped as he suddenly felt like couldn't force enough air to his lungs while the edges of his vision darkened. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the girl from his memories merging with Hotaru, both of them wearing that little smile with his hands around their necks.

When Yami slumped forward against her in a cold faint, Hotaru stiffened, her shock written plainly on her face. She didn't know what reaction she had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this one. Glancing down at him, something inside her trembled to see that when this other Bakura slept, he had a vulnerable expression, completely different from the few times she had seen this man.

Cautiously, Hotaru pulled and pushed at Yami at last until she had managed to move him on to the couch. When she was satisfied that he wasn't in any condition to move or do anymore damage, she limped away from him and down the hall to her bathroom.

Closing the door behind her, she flicked on the light and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. An exhausted girl with a bruise forming on her left cheek and her short hair in disarray with pale skin and a dirty uniform stared back at her. With a grimace, she realized that her legs were throbbing once more under the bandages.

The only nurse to speak English at the hospital had told her that she was lucky, that the burns wouldn't impair her ability to walk and that her socks had insulated her legs well enough that the wires weren't able to scar her skin. It was a shame that they hadn't informed her exactly how much pain she would be in until the wounds heal.

With grim resignation, Hotaru opened her medicine cabinet and pulled out a small orange prescription pill bottle. They were able to give her painkillers and now that she had a chance to take them, she was very grateful for them. Placing two in her mouth, she swallowed them as she left the bathroom and crossed into her room.

A moment passed and she left her room, this time wearing a pair of loose, black, cotton pants and a plain blue t-shirt. She carried a red and black plaid blanket over her arm and slowly made her way back to the living room. Yami appeared to not have moved from where she had shoved him on to the couch. Hopefully, he wouldn't move for a little bit and give her some time to think. Hotaru still didn't have any idea as to who this person is, why he wanted her life, or why he seemed to be in so much pain whenever he attacked her. With any luck, by the time the man had woken, Hotaru would have been able to form these questions in both her mind and in Japanese.

While lost in thought, she shook the blanket out and gently covered him with it, leaving only the top half of his face visible. Again, she caught herself staring at him, her eyes riveted to his sleeping face. This man looked exactly the same as Bakura, but at the same time, there was something more dangerous, wilder about this person. While Bakura emitted gentleness and a quiet strength, this one's aggression rolled off him in almost visible waves.

The room spun and Hotaru gasped, one hand going to her head, the other wrapping around her stomach. The painkillers kicked in too quickly in her empty stomach, forcing her to feel like the room was rocking. With a small groan, she sank to her knees and fell forward, her arms instinctively rising to shield her head from an impact. Instead, she landed with her head and arms resting on the couch while her eyes closed in a medicine induced sleep.

An hour or so passed before Yami's eyes opened slowly. _**It feels weird…Waking up**_..He thought as he yawned, stretching his arms above his head. Being a spirit, even when possessing Bakura's body, meant that he had no need to eat or sleep. Of course, in Bakura's body, he had to remember to do so as to not accidentally kill his host. As such, it was a rather curious sensation, sleeping for himself and waking up feeling his mind refreshed instead of solely the body's relief.

Sitting up, the Ancient Soul blinked when he finally noticed the blanket that was covering him. He stared at it for a moment, his mind attempting to function. It was when he happened to glance over and see the sleeping face of Hotaru a few mere inches away from him that his mind finally snapped back together.

Not caring whether he woke her or not, Yami threw off the blanket and shot off the couch, quickly moving himself to the other side of the room. After saving her and having had another memory assault, he wasn't prepared to take any chances, even if the girl was merely sleeping.

However, his sudden movement did wake Hotaru. She leaned back and sprawled her legs in front of herself, a small fist moving up to rub her eyes. After a few seconds she lowered her hand and stared at the couch before slowly turning her head in Yami's direction. "Ryou-san?" She murmured, her drowsy voice along with her lethargic movement suggested that the medicine was still running its course through her veins.

Yami hesitated for a second until he caught sight of her glazed eyes. Realizing that she wasn't yet awake mentally, he sighed and crossed the room back over to her. "Up." He gestured, waving his hand at her. She blinked and stared at him, a small yawn escaping her lips. "Lazy…" He mumbled, reaching down to grab her shoulders, determined not to touch her bare skin. He had noticed that the memories came when his hands were on her uncovered skin, so he was taking a chance that contact through fabric would be enough to prevent another forced flash back.

Luckily, his theory proved true and he was able to pull the small girl to her feet. "Go to bed, Hotaru. When you wake up, Bak-, er, Ryou-san will be here." He told her, unsure if she would be able to understand any Japanese in her state. At hearing her name and Bakura's, Hotaru nodded and slowly moved back to the couch. She picked up the blanket Yami had discarded and wrapped it around herself before lying down.

"Thank you, other Ryou-san." She murmured in English, a sleepy smile on her face before she succumbed to the medicine once more. Yami watched her until he was sure she was asleep before he took a small step towards her. "I still want you dead." He whispered, lowering his hand carefully on the top of her head. "But until I have the rest of these memories and know your connection to them, I will keep you alive and away from the rare hunters."

Abruptly, he turned and strode away from her, heading into her kitchen. Without glancing at the girl on the couch, he picked up her phone and punched in Bakura's number.

"It's me….No, I didn't kill her. She's sleeping…..No, I think she took something when I wasn't watching….Yes, she's still breathing….We're in her apartment….Yes, I'll wait till you get here….I'm not going to kill her right now….Hurry up."

Hanging up, Yami sighed and passed a hand over his eyes. His other half was still angry with him, but he wasn't sure now what he was more upset about. It was either about how Yami had split from the Ring without a warning or how he had carried Hotaru away from Bakura without letting the teenager see for himself that she was all right.

At this point, Yami was becoming annoyed with his lighter half. Hadn't he made it clear that he wanted Hotaru dead on his terms and if he truly meant for her to be dead, instead of lying on the couch wouldn't she be lying in the Realm of Darkness? Yami didn't quite understand why Bakura would get so worked up over a girl who obviously was more trouble than she was worth. At the same time, however, he still didn't understand himself, why he would allow her to continue to live. The memories are old and couldn't possibly be relevant anymore; so there wasn't really a need for Hotaru, he tried to reason. While it made perfect sense in his mind, that frozen part inside of Yami had thawed just enough to force his hesitation. Yet another incident caused by Hotaru without any real explanation.

Five minutes later, Bakura arrived and shoved his way through Yami's home made barrier. Without so much as a glance to his other self, he went straight to the sleeping girl on the couch. Kneeling beside her, he placed one hand on her forehead, the other going to her wrist. A moment passed and he nodded, as if he had just confirmed for himself that the girl was indeed both alive and relatively healthy.

Standing up, he turned and glared at the Ancient Spirit. "Now tell me; what the hell did you do?" He demanded, causing Yami to sigh and cross his arms. "I already told you. I managed to separate from the Ring. When this incident comes to a close, I'll be returned to the Ring and everything else will be restored to you." As Yami spoke, he crossed the room until he was standing directly in front of Bakura.

Reaching out, he grabbed the teen's collar and pulled him up to his face. "That means I am just as alive and as real as you." He hissed before shoving Bakura away. "This is my body for the moment and I will do as I please." He lifted his hand and jerked his thumb towards Hotaru. "Until I have my answers, I will keep this girl alive. When she has served her purpose, I will send her away."

At that, Bakura moved so that his face was only a few inches away from Yami's. "You will do no such thing. I will protect Aoimori." At the sounds of their argument, Hotaru woke and sat up, neither of the men noticing. She rubbed one of her eyes and stared at the sight in front of her. There were two Bakura's, dressed exactly the same, standing very close to each other. One was a little taller and had wilder hair with a fiercer expression while the shorter one had more tamed hair and wore an angry expression.

Bakura opened his mouth to say more while Yami opened his mouth to retort, but the two were interrupted by burst of laughter coming from the couch. Turning their heads simultaneously, they both saw Hotaru laughing, almost hysterically with tears running down her cheeks. "I'm seeing two Ryou-sans. Two. I knew the one was different but I didn't think they were two different people!" She was speaking in English, with a hand placed over her eyes and the other in her hair.

"Did I take too much medicine? Or am I finally going crazy? Did those hooded men drug me?" It was apparent that Hotaru was quickly approaching hysterics as her breathing hitched. Pressing her palms to her eyes, she shook her head almost frantically from side to side.

"Aoimori, Aoimori, it's okay.." Bakura was kneeling besides her in an instant, a hand going to her shoulder. At his touch, she jerked away from him, her arms crossing in front of her in a defensive position. "Who? Who real?" She cried out, finally speaking in Japanese.

Yami, having finally run out of patience, calmly walked over to the girl smacked the top of her head with the side of his hand. "Shut up." He told her, his eyes locking with her frantic ones. "This is Ryou Bakura. Your classmate and friend." Yami was speaking slowly and in simple sentence structures while both Hotaru and Bakura stared at him. "We are two different people." She sniffed and rubbed her eyes, her breathing slowly becoming steady. "Call me Yami. I'm the one who both saved you and attempted to kill you. You can trust Bakura, but you should fear me."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Author's Note: I am so sorry about the delay. I suffered a combination of writer's block and school overload. But I have managed to fix all that so I should be able to make more updates consistently. I am so sorry for keeping you waiting. I sincerely hope this chapter is worth the wait. _**

**_Just to be safe, here's the disclaimer once more: The only thing I own is the plot and the original characters. Everything else, including other characters, references, or specific vocabulary does not belong to me!  
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Hotaru stared up at Yami with her confusion evident on her face. She hadn't been able to understand anything he said other than his name. But his hitting her head did manage to stop her hysterics and cleared her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she extended her hand carefully to him. "Pleasure to meet?" Yami glanced at her hand for only a second before he slapped it away. "Do. Not. Touch. Me." He growled before turning and striding out of her apartment. His exit was accompanied by the violent slamming of her door as he shut it behind him.

Bakura sighed before looking up at Hotaru. Her face appeared to be frozen in a mixture of confusion and hopefulness. "Aoimori-san, are you okay?" He asked quietly, reaching up a hand to touch her shoulder. She turned her head quickly and stared at him for a moment before a small smile broke out on her face. "I okay, Ryou-san. Thank you."

He shook his head and smiled at her, pointing at her cheek. "You should put some ice on that to help the swelling." He said as he walked towards her kitchen. A few minutes passed before he returned, carrying a couple of ice cubes wrapped in his handkerchief. "Here." He gently placed the ice against her skin. Hotaru flinched at the sudden coldness but she reached up a hand to hold it in place with a small smile.

A dark thought suddenly burst in Bakura's head: _if Yami was the one to bruise her, I'll kill him. How could he hit a girl, and in the face no less? _He shook his head, trying to clear his brain. Yami was violent and had a bad temper, but he wouldn't hit a girl. It would be too much effort for the Thief King; he'd just kill her and be done with it. With a grimace, Bakura recognized the truth within his own musings and sighed again. If Yami really did intend to keep her alive, he must see some purpose for her. Therefore, the only problem would be identifying the purpose he sees. And with Yami, it could be anything ranging from a servant to using her for bait for the rare hunters.

At that last thought, Bakura grabbed Hotaru's wrist, forcing her to make eye contact with him. "Do you know what the rare hunters are?" Hotaru flinched and looked away, her eyes darting around the room. "No…" She finally murmured, tugging her wrist away from him.

"Aoimori-san…" At the tone of his voice, she looked back up at him, anxiety and confusion written plainly on her face. "Aoimori-san, I'm not angry with you. I just need to know what you do. I can't help you otherwise." Hotaru shook her head and wrapped her arms protectively around herself. "I no need help. Thank you." She said, still shaking her head. "Ryou-san, now to leave. Please."

Not much else he could do without upsetting her, Bakura sighed and turned for the exit. "If you need anything, I left my number by your phone." That said he left her, her door quietly clicking shut after him.

Hotaru rose and went straight to the door, locking it and sliding the dead bolt in place. She was in no mood for any more surprises that night. After looking around her home for a minute, she ran her hand through her hair and sighed. The day had been awful, to say the least, and she didn't quite know how to handle it. So instead of dwelling on it, she walked to her room and collapsed on her bed, falling almost instantly into a much-needed sleep.

Bakura, on the other hand, couldn't stop himself from dwelling on the day's events. As he walked home, he mentally reviewed each and every issue. The first and most important concern, in his mind, was the obsession the rare hunters seemed to have for Hotaru. This was twice now they had come after her and caused her serious bodily harm.

While he knew the group to be malicious and vindictive, they hadn't reached this extreme level the last time he was forced to deal with them.

Second had to be her involvement with the rare hunters. It was well known that the rare hunters didn't bother people whom they both believed to be weak and saw no profit from harassing. Judging from what he saw of both her deck and skills, Bakura decided that she couldn't possibly have anything of extreme value in her deck nor did her skills to be exceptional to attract that kind of attention. What Bakura couldn't even begin to guess about was why she acted so strangely when he questioned her about the rare hunters. She had seemed panicky and nearly threw him out of her apartment the moment he had finished asking her.

Bakura signed and glared up at the sky, as if the solutions to these issues were supposed to have magically appeared by now. Oddly enough, he wasn't too worried about Yami having his own body. He reasoned that it was probably due to the facts that one, Yami had assured him that it was temporary, and two, Yugi and Atemu were never too far away to be able to stop Yami if he decided to return to his old ways. Not to mention, the spirit constantly acted like he despised Hotaru, so he determined that the Thief King would avoid her always now that he the chance to actually do so.

Meanwhile, Yami was circling a park, glaring at the pavement and stepping as if each fall of his foot was crushing some annoying matter. In short, this had to be one of the most ridiculous days of his life. And that was saying something considering just how long his life truly is.

"She manages to get herself kidnapped, again! She fought against the first set, why couldn't she stand up for herself this time?" He grumbled, balling his hands into fists. When he realized what he had just said, Yami stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and smacked the side of his own head.

"What the fuck am I saying? What do I care if she gets hurt? I should have let her die! Better yet, I should have killed her! That stupid foreigner has been nothing but trouble since the day she arrived! All she does is get in the way and cloud Bakura's judgment!" Yami growled as he glared up at the sky, silently cursing whatever entity caused this mess.

Eventually, the two teenagers returned to Bakura's apartment, arriving within minutes of each other. After a brief awkward silence when Yami realized he couldn't open the door without the key and glared sullenly at Bakura while he unlocked it, the two sat down in the living room, both of them knowing it was far from over.

"So start again, how were you able to get your own body?" Bakura questioned once he had made himself comfortable on the couch. Since he knew Yami had nowhere else to go, he figured he might as well settle himself in for a long conversation. "Why weren't you able to do this before?"

Yami groaned and ran his hands through his hair. While his lighter half was easily more docile, the teen had proven himself to be as stubborn as a dog with a bone when it came to certain issues. Apparently, that girl would remain a 'certain issue'. "I already told you, I don't know how it happened exactly. One second I was beyond pissed at the rare hunters, craving their deaths, and the next I was standing there in the flesh and able to beat the shit out of them." It was an honest answer, he just omitted it was seeing Hotaru battered that triggered his rage.

Before he could answer the second half of the question, there was a knock on the door. His face unreadable, Bakura crossed to the front door and opened it. From where Yami was sitting, he couldn't see whoever was at the door but he could clearly hear Bakura welcoming whoever it was.

A minute passed before Bakura returned to the living room, this time with Atemu in toll. "What the hell?" Yami was up on his feet; his fists raised and ready to fight. Instantly, Bakura was between the two Ancient Spirits, his hands raised as if to separate them.

"Easy Yami. I called and asked if Atemu would know anything about why you were able to disconnect and reappear in a physical form. He's not here to fight you." Bakura soothed, hoping that for once, his darker half would listen to him.

During this exchange, the Pharaoh just stood still with his arms crossed, an amused expression on his face. While he and Yugi were best friends and able to coexist peacefully, in his opinion Bakura and Yami merely behaved like children. Since Yami had stopped planning the destruction of the world as they knew it, it was slightly amusing to see his former enemy being kept by a mere child.

"It seems to me that in order for this break to have happened, Yami must have been motivated by something more than anger. Remember, we have seem him past the point of murderous rage while he has shared your body, Bakura." Atemu stated as the two lowered their hands and turned to him. Albeit, Yami had crossed his arms as well and was staring nonchalantly at the wall as if the Pharaoh's words mattered nothing.

"Yami. What are your intentions and feelings towards Aoimori?" Atemu questioned, fixing the Thief King with a piercing glare. Bakura started, surprised. "What does that matter?" At the same time Yami stated: "That is your business how?"

"I believe your feelings, whatever they may be, to that girl are what triggered you to channel enough energy and magic to create a body. So it is imperative that we label what they are in order to resolve this issue." When Yami continued to look reluctant, he added: "The sooner you cooperate, the sooner I will leave your home."

Yami scowled at Atemu for a moment before sighing and crossing his arms even tighter across his chest. "I hate her. I want her dead and gone. Preferably burned and scattered so that Bakura cannot drag me to her resting place. Not since you have I hated someone so much."

Atemu smirked while Bakura gaped opened mouthed at Yami. He knew his darker half disliked the girl, he didn't think it was to this extent however. Atemu, on the other hand, seemed to have expected that answer. "Are you sure it is hatred you feel towards the girl?"

"What else could it be? Every time I hear the wretch stammer I develop a headache."

"I believe you are in love with the girl. Or at the very least feel strongly enough to protect her at all costs."


	10. Chapter 10

**_Author's Note:__ Thank you so much for reading my story! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

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One could hear a pin drop. After Atemu delivered his verdict, both Yami and Bakura froze, each staring at him with a mixture of horror and disbelief on their faces. Bakura's mind instantly began racing as he tried to make sense of what was just said. _Yami in love with Aoimori? That's….impossible. That would never happen. It could never happen. There's no way. He's too…..No, it wouldn't work. She wouldn't go for him, would she?_

While Bakura was silently panicking, Yami was reacting in a slightly different manner. _**That dumb bastard….Who the hell does he think he is, walking in here and saying whatever the fuck he wants?**_ He lunged forward and seized Atemu by the collar of his shirt. With a growl, he shoved the Ancient Pharaoh in to the wall, placing their faces only inches apart.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, huh? Have your brains rotted with your age?" Yami snarled, the Millennium Eye appearing on his forehead. Next to him, Bakura gasped with pain as he tore at his shirt. Against his skin, the Ring was glowing white-hot, apparently mimicking the intensity of Yami's anger. Even separated physically, it was now obvious that the Ring continued to serve as a link between the two, a fact Bakura had now painfully learned.

"Come on, oh Pharaoh! Tell me the logic behind that one, huh? Were you not listening to me? Are there worms in those fucking ears of yours? That bitch will die by my hand. She's nothing but a fucking nuisance and distraction! Nothing more and nothing less!" When Atemu continued to stare at Yami with a serene expression, he swore under his breath, dropped the Ancient Spirit, and stormed out of the apartment.

"Well, that went about as expected." Atemu said as he straightened the collar of his shirt and rolled his neck. At that comment, Bakura turned to him with a dazed expression on his face. "You don't truly believe he loves her, do you?" His voice was odd, as if he was forcing himself to be nonchalant.

Atemu glanced at his friend and sighed, mentally shaking his head. _You poor soul, you love her, don't you? And you don't even realize it yet._ Keeping his thoughts to himself, Atemu took a step over to Bakura and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Instead of worrying about something like that, don't you think you should be focusing instead on why the rare hunters are here and what it will mean for everyone now that Yami is out?"

Eventually, Bakura nodded and slumped back into the living room where he appeared to collapse on the couch. With a sympathetic look towards the teenager, Atemu quietly slipped out of the apartment.

_What if Atemu is right? What if Yami does love Aoimori? Is that why he keeps saving her? Is that why he is upset if someone else hurts her? He never answered my question….._ Bakura's thoughts continued to race amongst those tangents until he finally fell into a fitful sleep.

The next morning when Bakura woke up for school, Yami was back in the apartment, fully dressed and eating in the kitchen. Bakura didn't ask him what he did the previous night nor did he mention Atemu. Yami too chose that path and didn't offer any explanation.

So in a companionable, if not slightly tense, silence, the two ate and Bakura prepared for school. After about fifteen minutes of arguing, Bakura persuaded Yami into attending school with him. The reasons that won the Thief King over were that one, he would be able to annoy anyone he didn't like there, and two, what else was he going to do now that he had a truce with everyone that prevented him from taking over the world?

Bakura's real motive behind the argument was that he didn't want to leave Yami out of his sight no matter what. While inside the Ring, the spirit had seemed fine with a peaceful co-existence with him and the others, but who knew if that would last now that Yami possessed his own body? Until he knew for sure that Yami had honestly changed and was no longer completely hell-bent on destruction, Bakura had no plans to take any chances.

So after the ten-minute walk consisting of Yami complaining of the cold, the two had reached Domino High. During the walk, Bakura had been looking out for Hotaru, hoping that she had been taking the same route as them, but it appeared that she was either running late, left really early, or had simply chosen another route.

After a brief introduction in the office and to the teachers, Yami and Bakura made their way to the classroom. "God, I hope your classmates aren't as annoying as they appear to be through the Ring. I don't feel like dealing with stupidity." Yami grumbled as he opened the door.

"What the hell are you doing out?" Jonouchi's loud exclamation seemed to echo in the classroom. Instantly, he was in Yami's face, a scowl on his own. "What did you do to Bakura?" Yami glowered at Jonouchi and crossed his arms. "Get out of my way, you stupid mutt. Your breath is absolutely disgusting. Decaying flesh has a more pleasant aroma."

"Jonouchi-san, good morning!" Bakura said, ducking around Yami and stepping in between the two in hopes of preventing a fight. Fortunately, at that moment, Miho decided to make an appearance.

"Bakura, good morning!" Miho singed as she practically tackled him. "How are you today?" As she wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes fell on Yami. "Another Bakura! Who are you?"

"He's my….brother. Yeah, he's my brother, Ryou Yami! He just returned from studying abroad in…China! Yeah, he just got back from China last night!" Bakura fumbled, ignoring the glare from Yami and the questioning expression from Jonouchi.

Miho, on the other hand, seemed to believe every word he said. "China, huh? What was that like? Oh, and if you need any help with translating Japanese, just let me know, okay? We can study together." This was finished with a flirty wink.

Noticing Miho's actions, Yami quirked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "I'll pass. Annoying people have nothing to offer." That said, Yami strode past the dumbfounded girl and sat down in last desk closest to the window.

"Sorry about that, my brother's not used to Japanese customs yet…" Bakura said, fumbling to fill the awkward silence that followed Yami's put down. Jonouchi snorted and shook his head. "Like he's ever followed any to start with."

When Jonouchi opened his mouth to say more, his expression changed to one of confusion and surprise. Confused as well, Bakura leaned around him to see what causing that unusual expression. It was Hotaru, standing behind Jonouchi and poking him in the middle of his back. Apparently, she had tried to ask to him move but wasn't heard so had resorted to this method.

"Aoimori-san, good morning." Bakura said as he grabbed Jonouchi's arm and pulled him out of her way. Hotaru glanced up at him for a moment before she seized his hand and dragged him out to the hallway. Neither of them noticed the daggers shooting from Miho's eyes or Yami's intent stare.

"Aoimori-san? What's wrong?" He questioned when she had finally released his hand after tugging him halfway down the hallway. She looked up at him for a minute before she quickly bowed as low as she could without actually kneeling. "I to apologize!" She burst out, her volume surprising Bakura. "I to act stupid! I to apologize! I know not Ryou-san sibling! I to act rude so to apologize!"

Taken aback for a second, Bakura stared at the trembling girl before carefully placing his hand on her shoulder. "Aoimori-san, its okay. I know my…..brother scared you. You don't have to apologize, okay?" At his words, she glanced up at him, her eyes wide and visibly trembling. "Not angry?" She asked quietly as her hands tightened on her bag until her knuckles turned white.

Bakura smiled and shook his head. "I'm not angry. And believe me, Yami isn't angry either. He just has problems getting along with people." As he spoke, he gently pushed her shoulder until she was standing up straight again. "So don't worry about it, okay?"

"Yes!" Hotaru beamed up at him, all of her previous traces of nervousness vanishing. Bakura felt his heart skip a beat at her smile but was able to hide his reaction behind his own smile. "So are you ready for class today?" He asked as Hotaru glanced at the window. Her back stiffened and she glanced up at him before bowing quickly. "To excuse please. Have big errand." Hotaru said before she moved past him, running as fast as her injured legs would allow her to, leaving Bakura to stare after her in a wounded confusion.

With no other choice, he left and returned to the classroom. By this point, the last of his friends had arrived and depending on who they were, was either offered the explanation of the visiting brother or the Millennium Ring version.

Miho was happily standing next to Yami's desk, chattering away while the Ancient Spirit stared out the window with his arms crossed, an annoyed expression on his face. Jonouchi and Honda were joking with Yugi and Anzu at their desks and the rest of Bakura's classmates were caught up in the routines of their own lives.

As he approached Yugi's desk, a loud cry echoed throughout the hallway. It sounded as if several of their classmates had all shrieked in panic at the same time! With a barely a glance at each other for confirmation, Yugi, Bakura, Jonouchi, Honda, and even Yami, all stood and rushed to the door. _The rare hunters! They wouldn't attack a school, would they?_

Each prepared to fight; the teenagers filled the hallway only to stop in shock at the sight before them. Instead of a swarm of rare hunters attacking their classmates, what had caused the uproar was the sight of Seto Kaiba walking arm in arm with Hotaru!

"What the hell?" "What the fuck?" Bakura choked out at the same time Yami growled as the two stared at their former enemy walking with their short classmate. Kaiba and Hotaru, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the commotion around them. Instead, Kaiba inclined his head towards Hotaru who was talking to him with a joyous grin on her face.

As the strange pair approached Bakura realized the two were speaking English with Kaiba sounding just as fluent as Hotaru. "Aoimori-san? How do you know Kaiba?" Yugi called out when it appeared that Bakura and Yami were too dumbfounded to say anything.

At the shorter teenager's question, Hotaru instantly stopped speaking and glanced over at him with a confused expression on his face. "He wants to know how you know me." Kaiba said to her in English, causing her to look up at him with a smile. Seeing that smile, Bakura felt his chest tighten painfully. It was hard enough seeing her smile at anyone besides him, but it was near torture to watch her grin at Kaiba of all people like that.

On the other hand, Yami felt the ice in his chest expand and anger surge through his body. _**What does that stupid girl think she's doing, talking to Kaiba like that? Doesn't she have any survival instincts?**_

Hotaru approached the group with a shy grin on her face and one hand on the back of her neck. "Seto is best." She said cheerfully, not noticing the shocked expressions on everyone's faces.

"Kaiba? The best?" Jonouchi was the first one to speak as usual. "What is wrong with you, huh? Don't you know who he is? He's rude, manipulative, has tried to kill all of us several times, and is an all around jerk!" Hotaru stared up at him with a puzzled expression on her face as she attempted to understand what he said.

"He said that I'm a jerk and not worthy of being called the best." Kaiba said in English as he stepped up behind Hotaru, smirking at Jonouchi.. When she heard the translation, Hotaru's puzzled expression turned into a fierce glare. Balling her small hands into fists, she took a step closer and reached up to grab the blonde teenager's shirt collar.

Even though the ice in his chest had filled his entire body with a freezing rage, Yami couldn't stop himself from smirking at Hotaru's enraged expression. The sight of that tiny girl glaring up at a former bully looking as if she were ready to rip his throat out was simply too amusing. _**Its as if someone had pissed off a kitten…**_

Realizing what he just thought, Yami's back stiffened and he dug his nails into his palms. _**Where the fuck did that come from?**_ He glared at Hotaru, his anger surging through his veins. _**How dare she? How dare she have this effect! That little bitch…**_ Unbeknownst to him, as he stood there in his fury, the Millennium Eye was beginning to appear on Yami's forehead and palms.

At once, Kaiba and Atemu were in front of him, both of them pushing him away from Hotaru. "Calm yourself at once." Atemu ordered, the Puzzle still glowing warmly from Yugi disappearing into it. "You fool." Kaiba spat, taking a step back with his arms crossed.

Jonouchi and the rest froze and looked over at the three boys, all of them wearing confused expressions on their faces. Bakura too, was surprised. He hadn't even felt Yami's anger through the Ring, yet he apparently appeared ready to murder someone.

Honda, sensing there would be a fight that he wouldn't be able to prevent, grabbed Jonouchi and began hauling him away from their friends. When Jonouchi started to protest, Honda quietly explained that they would be better off doing crowd control than trying to break up that particular fight.

Hotaru, on the other hand, quickly moved so that she was standing in between the three of them, her hands held up at the boys' chest level. "To stop!" She commanded in a surprisingly loud and authoritative voice.

"Seto, what is going on?" She asked in English as she glanced up at Yami. He glowered back at her, his eyes promising a painful death. Hotaru swallowed hard but didn't look away from him until Bakura joined her in the middle, asking. "What are you guys doing?"

Kaiba rolled his neck and shot a haughty look at Yami. "Ask Anger Management over there." He replied in English before he turned and walked away. Hotaru watched him for a moment before turning back to Yami.

"What wrong?" She asked quietly, staring up at him. "You." He growled before he spun on his heel and stormed away from her. Seeing her hurt expression, Bakura put his hand on her shoulder.

"Aoimori-san? Don't worry about him, okay? Remember what I said earlier?" He said softly, ignoring the pointed look Atemu shot him. Seeing that she was struggling to compose herself, Bakura glanced over at Atemu. "What the hell did happen?"

Atemu shrugged and tilted his head towards Yami's retreating back. "He reached a murderous rage. Something obviously set him off." He stated as his eyes shifted towards Hotaru.

"See, I told you! You were wrong! He doesn't love Aoimori-san, he wants to kill her!" Bakura purposefully spoke quickly so that Hotaru wouldn't be able to understand him. However, at the mention of her name, she glanced up at him with a confused expression.

"That aside, Aoimori, how do you know Kaiba?" Atemu asked, not willing to prove Bakura wrong in public and give the girl a chance to understand what they were talking about. She glanced up at him and smiled shyly again. "Friend in England. Help to speak English." Seeing that shy smile as she talked about another man, Bakura felt his chest tighten painfully, making it difficult for him to breathe. _Why Kaiba? Why does she have to look like that when talking about Kaiba?_

Before either of the teenagers could question her further, the bell rang, causing all three of them jump. Without another word, Atemu disappeared inside the Puzzle and drew out a confused Yugi to hurry after Bakura and Hotaru.

Later, during physical education, Bakura and the others were able to meet up again and speak freely. Yami was sulking at the far end of the gym, glowering at his new classmates.

"So what the hell happened this morning?" Jonouchi demanded as soon as the boys had gathered. "To put it simply, Aoimori-san knows Kaiba from England. Apparently he helped her learn English like we are helping her to relearn Japanese. As for Yami, I have no idea what set him off. He looked like he was ready to murder everyone in the school with his bare hands." Bakura explained.

Honda sighed and put a hand on his head. "And here I thought that all we would have to deal with this year would be the International Tournament." "Things are never that easy, haven't you noticed?" Yugi commented.

While his friends were talking, Bakura was looking over at the other side of the gym. The boys in his class were supposed to be working out leaving the girls to play basketball again.

Once more, Hotaru was leaning against the wall, watching her classmates play. Bakura couldn't tell from the distance, but he thought he saw a longing expression on her face as she watched the other students laugh with their friends.

Hotaru sighed and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. Thanks to her injury, she couldn't participate and play with everyone else. So instead, she just had to watch Anzu shoot baskets and listen to the other girls' gossip and giggles.

Instead of the longing Bakura thought she was feeling, she was bored. Hotaru wasn't able to play nor could she understand what anyone else was saying. She wouldn't admit to being lonely, but she was definitely bored.

As she stared at the ceiling, she felt someone looking at her. Turning her head, her eyes locked with Yami's icy brown ones from across the gym. Like her, he was leaning against the wall and had apparently been watching his classmates as well.

Hopeful and hesitant, Hotaru raised her hand in greeting. In response, Yami's eyes narrowed, he crossed his arms, and turned his head away from her. Disappointment welling up inside her chest; she slowly lowered her hand and her eyes to the floor.

The presence of a hand on her shoulder caused her to look up. "Are you okay?" Kaiba asked her in English. She smiled and touched her hand to his. "Yeah…I'm still trying to get used to everything again. It's a bit overwhelming." Hotaru replied, also in English. After spending so much time trying to translate everyone else, it simply felt nice to be able to speak freely.

"Those guys are stupid…..But they are reliable." Kaiba said as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Hotaru blinked, staring up at him before a huge smile broke out on her face. "That's the nicest thing I've heard you say about anyone outside of the family." She teased, laughing. He sighed and glanced down at the girl, a faint smile on his face.

From across the gym, Yami felt the ice inside his chest expand and saw red creeping in from the corners of his vision. All of the other sounds and people faded away until he only saw Hotaru and Kaiba standing together, laughing. The only time he had ever seen Hotaru laugh was when she was near hysterics at discovering the both of them at the end of a strained day.

But Kaiba was able to make her laugh so easily and she looks so comfortable in his presence. _**Why the hell does any of that matter?**_Yami groaned and smacked the back of his head against the wall. _**Why do I care if she's happy with that prick? It's a good thing! That bastard would be able to keep her out of my hair!**_ Even as he berated himself, Yami couldn't tear his eyes away from the two. Nor would the ice inside his chest recede.

Oblivious to Yami's turmoil, Kaiba and Hotaru continued to talk. "I'm sure you know already, but I'm hosting this year's International Tournament." At her nod, Kaiba continued. "It's not for several more months, but I'm throwing a party for the contestants from the Japan and for any others that have arrived. That will be in a few weeks and I'll announce it publicly a week from today." As he spoke, he leaned his head down towards hers. "He will be there so wear your English dress, okay?"

Hearing that, Hotaru gasped and stared up at him. "No…He promised he wouldn't!" She backed away from him, her arms crossing defensively in front of herself. "How could you let him? You both promised!" She nearly shouted that last part.

Yami, who had continued to watch them, against his better judgment, had raised his eyebrows when Hotaru had first started to back away from him. _**Maybe she's starting to realize how much of an asshole he can be.**_ However, when he heard her shout, he was crossing the gym before he could even realize he was doing it. He couldn't understand what she had shouted, but he had been around the girl long enough to know when she was distressed. _**Who the hell does Kaiba think he is…. I'm the only one allowed to make her sound like that…**_

Hotaru blinked when she felt a hand on her shoulder pull her back and Yami stepped in front of her, glaring at Kaiba. "Back off." Yami growled as Kaiba crossed his arms and stared back. "Mind your own business." He replied, tossing his head as if to dismiss Yami. Yami's vision turned red and this time he could feel the Eye appear on his forehead.

"What the hell are you guys doing now?" Having seen Yami storm over to Hotaru and Kaiba and having been burned by Yami's anger through the Ring, Bakura rushed over before the situation could erupt violently. He moved between Yami and Kaiba, extending his palms towards both of them.

Yami didn't reply, only continued to glower at Kaiba. Who, on the other hand, had locked his eyes with Hotaru's. "Do you want another scene? Call them off. Now." He told her in English. She slowly nodded and took a deep breath before she hesitantly placed one hand on Yami's shoulder and the other on Bakura's.

"I fine. Seto to tell that no to wear kimono to party. No problem." She said with a forced grin on her face. Yami stared at her for a second before he smacked her hand off his shoulder and stalked away. Bakura on the other hand, glanced up at Kaiba. "What party? And why can't she wear a kimono?"

Without missing a beat, he replied; "The party I am throwing for the Japanese contestants in the International Tournament. It is in a few weeks. It's a modern party and a kimono is hardly modern." Once Bakura seemed satisfied by the explanation, Hotaru gently tugged on his sleeve. "To leave please? I to talk Seto good bye." She mumbled.

"Alright, see you in class." Bakura said before turning and re-joining their other classmates. "That was dumb." Kaiba told her the second he was out of earshot. "Then don't make me lie to my friends." Hotaru replied, crossing her arms. "If you want to stay here, you have to. Otherwise, I'll have to return you to England. You know his rules." Kaiba told her as he placed his hand on her head. "Just bear with it okay? You're safer here, especially with idiots like that to protect you all the time."

When the bell had rang, signaling the end of physical education, Bakura followed the rest of his classmates to change. In the locker room, Yugi approached him, the Puzzle around his neck glowing softly. "Atemu wants to know what we should do with Bakura, Yami, and Kaiba." He started, keeping his voice low so that he wouldn't be overheard.

"I don't know what to do with them." Bakura sighed as he tugged on his uniform shirt. "I mean, I don't know what the deal is with Yami and Kaiba with Aoimori-san. Yami just wants her dead, but he keeps attacking Kaiba every time he's with her. And Aoimori-san told me herself that Kaiba is nothing more than a friend from England."

Yugi glanced down at the Puzzle before looking back up at Bakura. "Are you in love with Aoimori-san?" Bakura stared at him for a moment, his arms frozen the motion of buttoning his shirt. A minute passed before he collapsed on to the bench behind them and stared up at Yugi.

"I think I am."


	11. Chapter 11

**_Author's Note:__ Thank you so much everyone for reading my story! Its been a whole year now since I've first published this and it means so much to me how people have read this and liked it. I hope we have another good year and you all continue to enjoy this story. Thank you so much!_**

* * *

"What the hell do I do now?"

Bakura sat on the bench in the locker room with his head in his hands. _I…I love her…That's why I can't stand her smiling at Kaiba or when Yami saves her….I want to be the one she smiles at and be the only one to rescue her…I have the worst luck._

Yugi glared down at the Puzzle around his neck. "This is all your fault you know. We didn't have to ask him that right away." He mumbled before he sat down next to his friend and touched his shoulder. "The way I see it, you have a couple of options. One, you can tell her and see what happens. Second, you could say nothing and hide it. Or three, you could try to make her fall in love with you." Yugi said, repeating what Atemu was communicating through the Puzzle.

"All of those options suck." Bakura groaned and tugged at his own hair. Before he could complain more, the warning bell rang, and out of the reflex, the two stood up. "Do you want to talk more at lunch?" Yugi asked as the two left the locker room and headed for class. "I would rather pretend nothing happened." Bakura sighed and tugged his own hair again in frustration. Yugi gave him a sympathetic look but obliged. For the remainder of the walk, Yugi held the Puzzle, clearly having a conversation with Atemu, while Bakura walked with his hands shoved in his pockets and stared at the floor, lost in thought.

()()()()()

Back in the classroom, Bakura was surprised to see that Hotaru had beaten them there. He had figured that she would have stayed with Kaiba until the last possible moment. _I'm really glad she came back. I don't want her to spend so much time with Kaiba. _ She had two books spread out on her desk and a notebook in her lap. Every couple of seconds she would thumb through both of the books before jotting something down only to frown at whatever she wrote and subsequently erase it.

Carefully, so as to not let her know he was watching her, Bakura walked across the room and stood behind her. One of the books was in Japanese while the second appeared to be an English/Japanese dictionary. In her notebook Hotaru had several difficult kanji written and broken into the components with the English explanations next to them. Under the English, she appeared to be attempting to translate her own writings into Japanese. As she wrote, her lips moved quietly, sounding out each written character.

"Is this how you learned English as well?" Bakura asked without thinking. Hotaru jumped to her feet in surprise, knocking her chair over and her books to the floor. "I'm sorry, Aoimori-san, I didn't mean to surprise you.." He stammered as he picked up her chair and began to gather her books.

"Is okay, Ryou-san. I to scare easy." Hotaru said with a smile as she too knelt to gather her books. "Yes. I to learn by writing." When they had picked up her books and stacked them on her desk, she smiled up at him. "Thank you, Ryou-san. You very nice." At the sight of her happy smile and hearing her compliment him, Bakura felt his neck and face flush as his heartbeat increased. "I….It's no problem at all, Aoimori-san….I'm happy to help." He stumbled over his words, feeling as if he had no control what so ever over his mouth.

Before Hotaru could say anything and before he could become any more embarrassed, the teacher walked in and slammed the door shut. Feeling relieved at being spared looking like a fool in front of her, Bakura gave Hotaru a small smile before he returned to his desk.

Fifteen minutes into class, the door slammed open once more, only this time it was Yami storming in instead of a teacher. "Ryou-san! I understand that you are new as well, but you should make more of an effort to show up on time!" The teacher scolded. "What kind of future are you going to have by being a delinquent? How will you make anything of yourself if you constantly ignore the rules and shirk all responsibility?"

Yami ignored the teacher and simply walked back to his desk. When he passed by Hotaru's desk, his hand shot out and knocked her notebook and pencil case to the floor. The pencil burst open on impact, scattering her pens and pencils across the room and causing Miho and several other students to snicker. Without even glancing at her, he continued to his desk where he lazily sat down and stared out the window. Bakura glared at his darker half but when he moved past without even an apology. When he rose out of his seat, Hotaru looked at him and shook her head quickly.

"Ryou-san! You should at least help her! Apologize at once!" The teacher exclaimed but stopped when Hotaru stood up and faced her. "Is okay, Teacher. Is accident." She said with a smile before kneeling down to pick up her scattered supplies. "Doesn't she seem to be awfully comfortable on her knees like that?" Miho whispered loudly, causing the same classmates to laugh. Hearing that, Bakura turned to glare at the white-haired girl.

"Leave her alone Miho." He hissed causing the girl to flush and stare down at her desk. Believing that she was done with her comments, Bakura turned to Hotaru who had finished gathering her belongings and had returned to her desk. He wasn't surprised to see that she seemed unfazed by Miho's insults; he had assumed she wouldn't understand it well enough to recognize it as an insult. Noting that he was staring at her, Hotaru glanced over at him with a questioning expression on her face. Embarrassed to have been caught staring, Bakura quickly shook his head, resulting in the girl shrugging and resuming her writing in her notebook.

In the back of the room, Yami had watched the whole interaction with mild irritation. He had only knocked her items off her desk to gauge her reaction. It was disappointing. Any other girl would have thrown a fit and demanded an apology. Instead, she dismissed the teacher and didn't even appear to be upset. However, it was that white haired girl that really annoyed him. _**What is wrong with the women in this era? They all are so petty and silly. This behavior would have never been acceptable in public during my time. And at home, trusting that they had decent husbands, they would have been struck for insulting a guest in such a manner. **_

The second that thought concluded, Yami's vision started to fade as he was once more assaulted by his own memories. Everything in the classroom filtered away until he was o left with only the whirling stream of memories. Each one flashed before his eyes too quickly for him to register what it was about. A person there, a building in another; it was impossible to catch more than a glimpse of each memory's contents. Gradually, the memories began to slow until only one remained front and center in his mind. Before he could even acknowledge that it was the only one left, it swelled and filled his senses: in a sense forcing him to relive that particular memory.

The memory's beginning was similar to the others Yami had experienced; he was dressed in the red robe, white tunic, and golden sandals that had been his familiar Thief King outfit for years, but this time, instead of walking alone, he was strolling through the streets of a small Egyptian town surrounded by his followers. The people within the town didn't appear to be afraid of him, an observation that he both questioned and dismissed. Somehow Yami knew that these people depended on him and therefore accepted him.

He left his camel with his followers at a small but popular tavern before setting out on foot. There was someone he had to see, one whom he would never find in town. At the edge of the town were large dunes, serving as defense walls. At the top of the smallest one was a large tree, the only one that had been able to grow so well. Instinctively, Yami knew that was where he could always find this person.

He climbed the dune, mindless of the heat and the wind throwing sand in his face. None of it mattered. He reached the top of the mound and paused for a moment, his eyes searching the landscape. There was no one near the tree. With a frown, he walked over to the tree so that he could look behind it. When that proved pointless, he hesitated, worry beginning to seep into his mind. Had something happened? Did the person he sought finally decide to venture into town? Or had they been attacked by something? Lost in his thoughts, Yami was startled when something fell on him from above.

"What the?" He cried out as he stumbled under the weight. His hands shot back, grabbed the object that fell on him and pulled it in front of him. In his grasp was a small girl with long black hair and a mischievous grin on her face. In this memory, Yami couldn't see her eyes but somehow knew that they too had an impish expression. What he could see was that she was short, barely coming up to his elbows and wearing a plain cotton tunic. It was a dark beige color with the ties at both of her skinny shoulders. It was too short for her, ending above her knees where most women wore their own tunics either to the ankle or to mid-calf. There were a few patches sewn into the material, each patch a slightly different color from the last.

"Amunet, you should not startle me. You do not know if I have my sword. What would you do if I had used it on you?" He scolded the girl, but couldn't prevent himself from smiling and hugging her. He didn't recognize this girl, but his memories told him that this was someone precious, someone to be protected at all costs. The girl pulled back so that she could look up at him, her smiling mouth moving, but making no sounds. Looking down at the girl, Yami's eyes widened and he gasped. The girl's face from his memories suddenly became clear: it was Hotaru's face grinning so trustingly up at him!

At this realization, the memory fragmented and collapsed around him. The girl in his arms vanished, as did the landscape and himself until finally he realized he was back in the classroom. Yami was on his feet, his hands were on his head and he was doubled over and breathing heavily. His classmates and teacher were all staring at him, confusion and concern written on their faces. "Ryou-san? Are you alright?" The teacher questioned while Bakura and Hotaru both gazed back at him with expressions similar to their classmates.

Without wasting a moment, Yami barreled out of the classroom and took off down the hallway. Before the teacher could say anything about Yami's flight, Hotaru was on her feet and out the door. Bakura was frozen in his seat, haven't fully comprehended the situation yet. Yami had evidentially had a break down in the middle of class, yet Hotaru felt the need to chase after him. _Why is she following him of all people? Why does she care about him? _A jealous voice inside his head asked. When he moved as if to follow after the two, the teacher threw an eraser at him.

"Enough! Take your seat Ryou-san! Your brother and Aoimori-san will be disciplined for that outburst, but I will not allow any more students to leave this room without permission!" Bakura sat back down, worry and jealousy flooding his chest.

()()()()()

Yami didn't stop running until he had reached the soccer fields behind the gymnasium. He doubled over with his back against the storage shed, not from shortness of breath, but from the impact of the memories. _**Who was Amunet? Who was she to me? If she was someone so important, why don't I remember her? And why does she look like that girl of all people?**_ His mind kept screaming those questions over and over to the point he didn't notice Hotaru approach until she carefully placed her hand on his arm.

He flinched, startled, and turned to her with wild eyes. She didn't say anything, just gazed up at him with those large charcoal eyes of hers. As much as he fought it, and hated himself for it, the more Yami stared into her eyes, the more he felt himself calm down. When he finally had regained control of his senses and was confident that his memories wouldn't assault him again, he finally took a step back from her and broke eye contact.

"What the hell are you doing out here, you stupid girl?" He snarled, glaring at the shed behind them. Hotaru only shook her head and removed her hand from his arm. "I to help." She said quietly as she lowered her eyes to the snow on the ground and wrapped her arms around herself. It was only then that Yami noticed that she was shivering from the cold, was trying to catch her breath, and her legs were shaking from running after him. _**What is the matter with this girl? No coat and in pain….What the hell drove her to come out here? Why must she continue to follow after me?**_

"You are stupid, you know that?" Yami said with a sigh. Without thinking about it, he stepped closer to the girl so that he could pick her up bridal style. _**What the hell am I doing? I should let her collapse from the pain and freeze to death!**_ Even as those thoughts ran rampant through his mind, he still held the girl and began to walk back to the school's main building.

"Why to hate me?" Hotaru asked after a minute of silence, her voice so soft that Yami nearly missed her question. Caught off guard, he stopped in his tracks and looked down at her. She wore an expression of confusion, hurt, and slight detection of hopefulness on her face as she watched him. _**Where is the fear? I have tried to kill her twice now? Why does she so easily trust that I won't harm her? **_ He sighed and shifted his hold on her so that she was pressed closer to his chest.

"I don't. I want to so much but I can't hate you." He finally admitted after a few moments had passed. "You are annoying, always in trouble, you barely understand what is going on, you make me want to kill you, and you have no survival instincts. You're rare hunter bait and you know that bastard Kaiba. But…..I don't hate you." As he spoke, he didn't look at her but she reached up to tug on his shirt so that he would meet her gaze. "But why angry? Why yell? Why want to kill?" She asked, appearing to not want to let his moment of sudden openness to slip.

"Because I don't understand you. I…..I don't like people who make no sense." He told her. A second passed and his eyes hardened. "Shut up! Its none of your business what I do!" He snapped as he began walked. "Don't make me drop you in the snow!" Even though he had just yelled at her, Hotaru smiled softly to herself. Although it didn't end well, it still meant something to her that she had been able to make him feel comfortable enough to talking that much with her. She took it as a sign that hopefully things would change and he would stop being so angry with her all the time.

"Ryou-san, thank you." She murmured, starting to become drowsy from the motions of his walking and from the sudden exertions she put her body through. Noting that the girl was dozing off, Yami sighed and tightened his hold on her. "My name isn't Ryou. Call me Yami." Hotaru smiled sleepily up at him before the light in her eyes faded and her face turned towards his chest. As he walked, Yami couldn't stop berating himself.

She is clearly connected to those damn memories of mine so what the hell am I doing helping her? Wouldn't getting rid of her prevent the memories from coming back? Not to mention, what the fuck am I doing? She followed me, why the fuck am I carrying her back? What does it matter to me if she's healthy or not? It doesn't matter to me! This girl does not matter to me! No matter what the damn Pharaoh says, she means nothing! Nothing! I will kill her! She doesn't even serve as decent rare hunter bait so there is no true point in letting her live this long! She even consorts with that bastard Kaiba! So she should die for association!

Yet, even as he screamed at himself with his mind, Yami still carried the girl. He made no motion to strangle her, suffocate her, or even drop her. Only gently carried her. That memory had made him realize that whatever that Amunet was to him was something to be protected and he couldn't stop himself from extending that feeling to Hotaru when she was in pain. _**Until I can discover the connection, I should keep her alive. Besides, if I kill her during the tournament, it might distract Kaiba to the point that I could finally defeat that asshole. **_Satisfied with his own reasoning, Yami entered the school building and proceed down the hallway to the nurse's office.

After he had deposited Hotaru, he found himself face to face with an angry Bakura in the hallway. "What the hell did you do to her? Why is she in the nurse's office?" His lighter half demanded, his eyes flashing dangerously. Yami rose to the challenge and towered over him. "I did nothing to that little whelp. She followed me. She collapsed on her own. I didn't want to hear your bitching so I dragged her here. If you are so concerned about her, where were you?" He added with a smirk, watching with enjoyment as Bakura took the bait.

"Where was I? What the hell were you doing in the first place? Why did you storm out of the classroom? Aoimori-san is a kind girl, she would follow anyone she thought was in trouble!" Bakura growled, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "None of your business. As for the girl, she should learn some survival instincts." At that, Bakura's hand shot up and he seized Yami's collar. "Do not talk about her like that. Aoimori-san is kind and thoughtful and would do anything to help anyone!" Yami smirked again but left his hands at his sides. "Why Bakura, it sounds as if you love that little girl." He taunted.

However, Bakura's anger faded into surprise and he released Yami's shirt. "I…" He started, trying to find the words to express what he was thinking. Watching him, Yami's own thoughts went into overdrive. _**What the fuck?**_ _**Why the hell does Bakura love her of all people? When the fuck did that happen? This why I wanted her gone! She's nothing but a distraction! **_"I do…..I do love her…" Bakura quiet admission snapped Yami out of his thoughts. Enraged, he took a step closer to his lighter half, the Millennium Eye appearing on his forehead. "What do you mean you love her? You know nothing about that girl! For all you know, she works for the rare hunters!" Yami snarled, red starting to creep into the corners of his vision. _**Why does it have to be her? Why not anyone else? Hell, even that ribbon bitch would be a better choice!**_

"You are the one who knows nothing about her!" Bakura snapped, glaring up at Yami. "She's smart and funny and loves to help others. What isn't there to love about her?" _**You don't deserve her!**_ As that thought entered Yami's mind, the Eye faded and he took a step back from Bakura, a confused expression on his face. Yami would have sworn that he was furious because Bakura in love with a stranger who would be nothing but trouble but then, where did that thought come from? Unwilling to admit any of this to Bakura, he shook his head and crossed his arms. "Do what you want. But do not ask for my help if the rare hunters attack you on her command." That said, he turned and walked down the hallway.

Left alone, Bakura stared at the nurse's door before glancing at Yami's retreating figure. "What the hell just happened?" He asked aloud. Yami had never backed down in a middle of an argument before, especially not one about Hotaru. So why was this one different. Instead of dwelling on it, Bakura pushed open the door and strode over to the bed that Hotaru was lying on.

The nurse explained that she had collapsed from pain and exhaustion, but Bakura barely heard her. All he could see was Hotaru's resting face and all he could hear was her soft breathing. Her bandaged legs were elevated slightly as to decrease the pressure on them and she had a heat pack on her chest to keep her from catching a chill. Even with that, in Bakura's eyes, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

_Regardless of what Yami says, I promise to protect Hotaru with everything I have. I won't let anyone, not even him, hurt her anymore. _

_()()()()()_

Later on, when Hotaru finally woke up, she blinked in surprise to see Bakura sitting in the chair next to her bed. His arms were crossed and his chin was on his chest; clearly he had fallen asleep waiting for her to wake up. With a sleepy smile on her face, Hotaru pushed herself up into a sitting position and reached out a hand to touch Bakura's shoulder. "Ryou-san, morning." She murmured quietly, unable to remember how to translate "wake up" into Japanese.

Startled by her touch, Bakura leapt to his feet, an expression of instant anxiety on his face. "Ryou-san, okay." Hotaru said as she held her palms up in an attempt to calm him. Glancing down at her, he exhaled and collapsed back into the chair. "Sorry, Aoimori-san. I guess I startle easily too." He said with a smile that she returned. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up with a yawn. "You to wait?" Hotaru questioned as she stretched her arms above her head.

"Yeah, sorry, should I not have?" Bakura asked sheepishly as he too rose to his feet. She shook her head and smiled up at him. "Very nice human, Ryou-san." She said with another smile. Bakura sighed at her expression but nevertheless grinned back at her. "By the way, you want to use the word "person" instead of "human". You might confuse some people that way." He told her as he opened the door for her.

"Person? Is same as human?" Hotaru questioned as they stepped into the hallway. He nodded. "Yeah, different word but same meaning. Give me your hand." They stopped and he extended his hand to her. Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his. Bakura turned her hand palm up and traced a character with his finger. "This is human. And…This is person. See they even can be written differently." Hotaru stared at their hands, fascinated by his explanation.

"Hotaru!" Hearing her name called out, both turned to see Kaiba striding up to them. "I heard you were taken to the infirmary. Are you okay? What happened?" He questioned her in English as he knocked Bakura's hands away from her. Hotaru frowned at his questions and actions but placed a hand on his arm regardless. "I'm okay, Seto. I just needed to rest for a little bit. Ryou-san was helping me back to class." She replied in English, smiling as Kaiba visibly relaxed.

"Soo…Aoimori-san, ummm, are you doing anything tomorrow?" Bakura asked after waiting a moment. When it appeared that Kaiba wasn't moving on anytime soon, he simply decided to ignore him. Hotaru glanced at him, a puzzled expression on her face. "Tomorrow Saturday yes? No plan." She answered a brief hesitation in which she had crossed her arms and tilted her head, apparently attempting to translate her own thoughts. "I was wondering…..Would you like to go out with me?"

Hotaru stared at him, obviously confused. "I to go with you every day." Kaiba, noticeably growing irritated, turned to her. "He wants you to go on a date with him." He translated as he glared over his shoulder at Bakura. "Don't you have anything better to do? Like stay at home and rest? Or study?" He continued, crossing his own arms as he stared down at her. Hotaru looked up at Kaiba, a questioning expression on her face. "Seto, what's wrong? He's my friend- he helps me." She spoke in English, leaving Bakura to feel lost and awkward as the two conversed fluently.

"You should be hanging around better people. People who don't let things like this happen to you!" Kaiba snapped as he flipped her skirt up slightly to reveal her bandaged legs. Both she and Bakura blushed as she scrambled to shove the material back down. "Seto! That was mean! And that wasn't his fault and you know it!" She cried, her hands holding down her skirt as her face turned a bright shade of pink. Seeing her embarrassment, Kaiba put a hand on her head and sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. But still Hotaru…" "Seto, relax. He's my friend and I wish you would be nicer to him."

Hotaru took a step back from Kaiba and smiled up at Bakura as she linked her arm through his. "Yes. With you I go." She told him in Japanese. Leaving Kaiba to stare after them, she pulled Bakura down the hall. "Are you sure this is okay?" Bakura asked, feeling the young CEO's glare burning holes into the back of his head. "Too much watch. Japan for free. No England." She muttered as she tugged his arm harder. _Japan for free and no England? What does that mean? What was her life like in England? And what role does Kaiba have in this exactly? _Bakura wondered as he allowed the small girl to tug him through the hallways.

When they reached their classroom, both of them were surprised to find their teacher waiting in the doorway. The seventh period teacher was a middle aged man who for some reason, despised kids in spite of his job. After receiving a strict lecture from the man in front of the class, Hotaru and Bakura were able to take their seats. Unsurprisingly, Yami had not returned to the classroom. A fact that Bakura noted and dismissed. Whatever the Ancient Spirit had done apparently had not affected Hotaru too dramatically and as such, he didn't feel the need to worry about him.

Hotaru on the other hand, kept glancing back at the empty desk every couple of minutes as if she were expecting Yami to appear at any moment. She didn't fully understand why but she felt that whatever happened to Yami was her fault and as such, it was her responsibility to make sure he was okay. Yet, the rest of the classes dragged on and the Thief King still did not make an appearance.

When the final bell rang, it became apparent that she was not the only one who had been bothered by Yami's absence. Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, and Miho all surrounded Bakura's desk, each one asking about the scene his darker half had caused earlier in the day. Only Yugi held back and he had crossed to Hotaru's desk.

"Are you alright?" He asked her quietly as he watched her gather her books and pens. She glanced up at him to only nod briefly before her eyes dropped to her desk again. "Aoimori-san, are you really?" At his repeated question, Hotaru stood up and stared up at him. Unaccustomed to someone looking up at him, Yugi took a step back. "Please no." She said with a forced smile before she stepped around him and fled the classroom. Yugi meant to follow her, but stopped when he felt someone glaring at him. Turning his head, he saw Bakura's eyes locked on him, an accusing expression on his face. Shaking his head, Yugi held up his hands and backed out of the classroom. Whatever was going on with Bakura, Hotaru, and Yami was something he wasn't sure he was capable of interfering with. Atemu was one thing, the man had been Pharaoh after all, but Yugi was still a teenager, barely able to handle his own emotions successfully, let alone those of his friends.

()()()()()

Hotaru burst out of the front doors of the high school and placed a hand on her head as she inhaled the icy air. Too much was happening too quickly; in between the rare hunters, the two Bakura's and Kaiba's appearance, it was no wonder that she was seeking an escape. However, her reprieve was short lived when she felt someone's eyes on her yet again. Lowering her hand, her eyes locked with Yami's. The teenager was leaning against the school's gate, looking only at her.

Hesitantly, she walked forward, stopping only when she was a few feet away from him. "Come. Bakura would throw a fit if you were ambushed on your way home." Was the only explanation he offered before turning and walking away. Hotaru blinked before a small smile bloomed on her face and she hurried after him. "Thank you, Ryou-san." She said shyly after half a block.

Yami tilted his head towards her with one eyebrow raised. "You must be stupid. Your memory is terrible. Didn't I tell you what to call me already? Or were you already unconscious?" Hotaru stared up at him with a confused expression on her face. She only understood a few words of what he said and not enough to catch the meaning of his sentence. Yami sighed before he jerked his thumb at himself. "Yami." Hotaru stopped in her tracks, a concentrated expression on her face as she sounded out his name. "Ya….me?"

With another sigh, the Thief King turned to her and grabbed her hand. "Yami. Like this." He said as he wrote the letters in English on her hand. While he couldn't speak English as well as Bakura, he did learn the alphabet by peering through his lighter half's memories. When she didn't respond right away, Yami grabbed her other hand. _**Ra, her hands are tiny. How could she have dueled with hands like these? **_ "Like this." He repeated, this time tracing the letters by guiding her hand with his own. Hotaru stared at his hand holding hers for a second before glancing up at him with a hesitant smile on her face. "Yami-sama?" At his nod, her smile turned joyous and she laughed, plainly made happy simply by knowing how to say and write his name. "Why sama though?" He asked when they started walking. "You to save me. Respect." Hotaru answered as she looked up at the sky. "Winter pretty in Japan. Gray in England." She said with a wistful smile.

Yami didn't say anything and just looked away from her for the remainder of the walk. _**Proof enough that there is something wrong with her. She likes winter. Who the hell is dumb enough to like this miserable season?**_ Eventually they stopped outside of her apartment building. With no intention of saying good bye, Yami turned and headed down the sidewalk but was stopped by a small pull on the back of his coat. "Yami-sama, thank you. Hotaru please." The girl said with another shy smile on her face. _**Thank Ra she doesn't know what it means to be on a first name basis in Japan.**_ "Don't act like you just gave me some special privilege." He snapped, shaking his coat free and beginning to walk again. When he glanced over his shoulder, the girl was still standing there, but laughing so much that her face was turning pink. Without even realizing it, Yami's expression softened and he nodded to her once before continuing on.

()()()()()

Later that evening, when Bakura finally managed to break away from his inquiring friends and return home, he found Yami lounging on the couch, flipping through the channels on T.V. "You'd think with all of the shit people have done, they would invent something that was actually interesting to watch." The Ancient Spirit complained. Bakura snickered as he hung up his coat. "Welcome to the 21st centaury, Yami." He started to head into the kitchen but wavered a moment before walking over to Yami.

"Hey, just so you know, I won't be home tomorrow. Do you want directions to the museum or library for tomorrow?" He offered tentatively. Bakura knew there was no way to lie to his other half so the best option was to just reveal his plans early. However, he had no idea how the Thief King would react. "I know where those buildings are. This town isn't that complicated, boy. And where are you going?" Yami questioned offhandedly, still flipping through the channels. "Stupid box!" He growled, slamming down the remote. Bakura swallowed audibly as he gathered his courage. "I have a date with Aoimori-san tomorrow." He said, trying to sound nonchalant about it.

Yami was on his feet and in Bakura's face in a matter of two seconds. "What do you think you're doing spending so much time with Hotaru, huh? Didn't I tell you already that that girl was nothing but trouble?" The Spirit growled. Bakura started to defend himself but froze when he realized that Yami had referred to the girl by her first name yet again. "If she's such a nuisance, why do you call her by her first name? Why do you even know her first name?" He asked watching in amazement as Yami crossed his arms, leaned back, and raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do about it? For your information, she gave me permission to call her Hotaru." Yami smirked at Bakura's reaction.

"Well, like that matters! I doubt she even knows what it means to be on a first name basis in Japan! Its not like it means she likes you or anything!" Bakura retorted, instantly realizing that he had said the wrong thing. _**You little rat…You still don't have the right to call her by her name yet you dare speak for her?**_ "Why should I give a fuck if that bitch likes me or not?" Yami roared, grabbing Bakura's collar. It wasn't so much his lighter half he was furious with as he was with his own thoughts. "Don't go trying to brag that because you are taking that wench on a date as if you are trying to make me jealous. Since when did the attentions of a silly little girl screw with your brain so much, huh?" A moment passed before Yami released him and backed up a couple of paces. He ran his hands through his hair twice before he looked over at Bakura.

"Its decided then. I'm coming with you on your date. And don't act as if you get a say in my actions. I can either be there on your invite, or just show up and terrify that stupid girl."

_**As if I'm going to let you be alone with Hotaru. You would be completely useless if the rare hunters were to come after her again. **_


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:**** I am so sorry for taking so long to update! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!  
**

* * *

Bakura stared blankly at Yami for a few minutes while his brain tried to comprehend the situation. "What the hell? What do you mean you're coming with? You're not invited!" He shouted in a rush while his mind whirled in panic. _Yami can't come with_! _He'll threaten her again! Or he'll hurt her! Or he'll do something to ruin it!_ Yami raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "Are you stupid, boy? I said I was coming, regardless of your wishes. However, your actions do dictate how I will treat that bitch tomorrow."

Yami turned off the TV and stood up, towering over his lighter half. "Keep this in mind, Bakura. The second she loses her purpose, I will kill her. I don't care if you love her or not, one way or another, I will kill her." Bakura swallowed hard, recognizing the murderous intent in Yami's glare. The Ancient Spirit was serious, he honestly meant for the girl to die by his hand. Mustering up his courage, Bakura glared back. "When that time comes, you will have to get through me first. I won't give her up without a fight." Yami snorted and turned away. "You stupid child. Let me know when you understand how the world works." He called over his shoulder as he headed to bed.

()()()()()

The next day, Bakura and Yami set out to meet Hotaru. Bakura had dressed conservatively in dark jeans and a dark blue sweater while Yami, on the other hand, looked prepared for a street fight in a pair of faded, torn jeans and a form-fitting, long-sleeved black shirt. He also wore the Millennium Ring around his neck, despite Bakura's protests. Yami won the argument by claiming that rare hunters would most likely target whoever was wearing the Ring. If Bakura was so concerned about Hotaru, then he should be grateful to Yami for volunteering to wear it.

Bakura had called ahead and agreed to meet up with Hotaru at the town square, but left out the detail that Yami was tagging along. He simply didn't know how to explain to her that on the date he had invite her, he was also bringing along the man who routinely frightened and threatened her. So instead, he opted to surprise her, hoping that she wouldn't be too upset. Yami on the other hand, found it to be quite hilarious. _**Lying and deceiving already? What a wonderful start to a relationship. At this rate, I won't have to lift a finger to completely drive her away; Bakura will do it all for me!**_

When they arrived at the square, both teenagers felt their hearts leap into their throats as their eyes fell on Hotaru. She was dressed in black jeans and a short black trench coat. The coat fell open to reveal a tight, long-sleeved red shirt with slashes of black along the sides and sleeves. The shirt had a deep V-neck, showing just enough of her chest to be interesting but still modest.

Feeling their eyes on her, Hotaru looked up from her study of the snow and smiled. If she was surprised to see Yami, she didn't show it as she approached them and extended both of her hands. "Good afternoon, Ryou-san, Yami-sama!" She said cheerfully. Bakura smiled back while his eyes looked her over from head to toe again. When it appeared that Bakura wasn't going to say anything,

Yami cleared his throat, catching the attention of the shorter girl. "You don't care that I'm here?" He questioned, watching her carefully. Hotaru shook her head and smiled again. "I want know Yami-sama too." Unable to detect whether or not she was lying, Yami sighed and looked over at Bakura. "So what are we going to do anyways? She barely understands anything!" At his tone, Bakura snapped out of his daze and smiled confidently. "There are plenty of things to do that don't require any Japanese!" He stated as he grabbed Hotaru's hand. "Come on, Aoimori-san! I'm sure you'll like this!" With a smile, he began to pull her down the side walk. The confused girl struggled to keep up with him while Yami followed, an amused expression on his face.

Bakura headed towards the mall, still holding Hotaru's hand as he pulled her along. _Amazing! She's holding my hand!_ He thought, his excitement showing in his flushed cheeks. Even with Yami there, the date was proceeding along just the way he hoped it would. _After this, we'll get something to eat and sit together in a cozy booth. Then we'll take a walk around the park and watch the sunset when she'll let me hold her as the perfect ending to a perfect day._ So caught up in his daydreams, Bakura didn't notice they had reached the mall until he walked into the wall. Startled, he jumped back, one hand holding his nose as he looked around. Yami was standing a couple of feet away, trying not to laugh while Hotaru had a guilty expression on her face. "Ra, and I thought she was stupid." The Thief King stated, gesturing towards Hotaru. Bakura glared at him as he looked down at his hand. When he thought he was holding Hotaru's hand, she had at one point, slipped her hand out of her glove and left it in his hand. At his questioning glance, the smaller girl pointed to Yami.

"Do you have to be such an ass?" Bakura demanded, facing his darker half. Yami tilted his head and glared down at Bakura. "Do you have to be such an idiot?" He retorted, rolling his shoulders. Quickly, Hotaru stepped in between the two of them, a pleading expression on her face. "No fight, please. Fun for today?" She said, looking back and forth between Bakura and Yami. As usual, when it was Hotaru pleading, Bakura backed off and smiled down at her. "I'm sorry, Aoimori-san. Let's go have fun." He said as he took her arm and led her into the building. _**That damn girl needs to mind her own business.**_ Yami glowered as he skulked after them.

Once he stepped in the mall, Yami blinked before his eyes narrowed. There were so many people in the mall that he had managed to lose track of his lighter half and that child. "Shit." He mumbled as he shoved his ways through the crowd. He made it about halfway through the crowd when he felt something latch on his sleeve. Looking down in irritation, he saw Hotaru holding onto his sleeve. "What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, shaking his arm a little. The girl released him but took a step closer. "Too many people. Yami-sama lose Ryou-san?" She questioned, looking up at him. "I wouldn't get lost, you stupid child!" He snapped as he began shoving through people once more. However, Hotaru reached out and snagged the back of his shirt. When he whirled around, annoyed, she calmly pointed in the opposite direction he was headed. Frowning, he looked above the crowd and saw Bakura leaning against a store front, an amused expression on his face. Refusing to meet the girl's eyes, Yami stomped over to Bakura and into the store. "Thanks, Aoimori-san." Bakura said when she had reached him. She nodded and smiled before she too entered the store.

Inside, all of the walls available space was filled with large bookshelves, which in turn, were crammed full of books. Hotaru's eyes widened as she looked around, nearly bouncing in excitement. "You like books, Aoimori-san?" Bakura asked as he looked down at her affectionately. _She's so cute! _She barely glanced at him as she nodded, her eyes almost hungry as she stared at the shelves. "You can go look if you want." He hadn't even finished speaking before she nearly darted off, disappearing amongst the bookshelves.

Yami leaned against a bookshelf, sighing in frustration. It was embarrassing that that girl had aided him. _**I've been around for more than a thousand years. I shouldn't need the help of a child to locate someone!**_ He ran his hand through his hair, annoyed with himself and Hotaru for helping him. Yami's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a small whimper and the sound of someone falling against the bookshelf behind him. Carefully, he stuck his head around the corner and nearly laughed at the sight in front of him. Hotaru was standing on the tips of her toes with one hand clutching a shelf for balance while the other was stretched above her head. Her whole body was shaking with the effort to reach a book that was about a foot higher than her reach.

After a moment of watching her struggle, he approached her from behind and reached past her hand. Grabbing the book she wanted, he started to lower his hand when Hotaru turned around to face him, a surprised expression on her face. Yami froze when her eyes locked on his as he realized how close he was to the girl. Her back was against the shelf and he was leaning over her, his body mere centimeters away from hers. His world narrowed to solely her charcoal eyes. "Y-Yami-sama…?" At the sound of her voice, he felt the familiar rush as his memories surged forward. He groaned and placed a hand over his eyes. _**Why now? Why can't I control when to relieve this?**_ Yami thought as he watched with his mind's eye as one memory expanded and filled his senses, blocking out everything else around him.

This memory, similar to ones the before it, started with him in the middle of town. However, this time, he was on his own instead of his followers flocking around him. It was a hot day that would have been unbearable save for the merciful breeze. As he sauntered through the town, he saw women hanging laundry to dry and children running through the streets, laughing and shouting after each other. As he strolled, he heard angry yells behind him, causing him to turn in time for a small figure to collide with him. Instinctively, he grabbed the person by the shoulders and attempted to force them a step back. However, the stranger clung tightly to his outer robe, trembling under his hands. Yami looked down and his eyes widened in surprise at the realization that the figure clinging so tightly to him was a small girl.

He couldn't see her face but noted her black hair hanging down to her waist and her sand colored skin. He also observed the bruises on her arms and her torn tunic. The tunic was too small for her, hanging several inches above her knees and covered in patches from previous tears.

Before he could question the girl, three men appeared from the ally and walked over to him. One of the men was adjusting his shirt, one was scowling, and the third was cradling his hand. His skin was raw and bleeding, as if a wild creature had bit it. "Thank you kindly, sir, for catching that wench." The man who had been fiddling with his clothing stated as he reached a hand towards the girl. "We'll reclaim her now." At his words, the girl looked up at Yami, her large dark eyes brimming with tears. Startled, he saw the cut on her lip and the bruise forming on her cheek. "What has this child done to merit such punishment?" Yami asked, finally pulling his eyes away from hers.

"She is no child, sir, but a witch." The man began, now glaring openly at her. "The women all say she is of age for marriage and bearing children but she runs about like a child. She dresses indecently and it's because of her, the gods are angry and limiting our water!" The man holding his hand chimed in, "She is an instrument of evil! She sold her voice to possess the powers of the demons! That woman must be punished for the sake of the village!" As the men spoke, the girl shook her head violently as she desperately tried to free herself from Yami's grasp. Yami watched her for a moment before observing the hungry looks on the faces of the villagers. "How do you not know that she is a victim of a raid, muted to be subservient and the gods are punishing you for denying her aid?" He questioned, knowing that his followers would later challenge this decision. "I speak as the King of the Thieves and the protector of this town; the girl is to be pardoned for any and all perceived slights. Now go." Furious, the men left them, one glaring murderously at the girl as he rounded the corner.

When they had left, Yami turned to the girl, confused as to why he felt the need to protect her from the villagers. Unless it was a raid, he typically didn't care as to what the villagers did on their own. "You are a mystery, woman." He murmured, glancing down at her. "Do you have a name?" He asked, watching as she shook her head. "So you honestly cannot talk?" At this, she nodded. "Be grateful you at least understand language. I might have given you to them if you were unable to understand. It would be a mercy for you." He told her as he released her shoulders and crossed his arms. She took a step back from him, staring at him with anxious eyes. "Anyways, your life is mine now. I expect you to do as you're told. I suppose you need a name to answer to….How about Amunet? Your origins and life are a mystery to me after all. Do you dislike the name?" He asked, watching her shake her head, a small smile on her face.

At once, the memory shattered and Yami found himself back in the bookstore, his head on Hotaru's shoulder and the girl's hands on his arms, shaking him lightly. "Yami-sama? Yami-sama!" The girl was saying, her voice filled with panic. With a start, he realized that he had all but collapsed on the girl who had fallen against the bookshelf so that he wouldn't tumble to the floor. With a groan, he used the shelf behind her to push himself up. "Yami-sama?" He looked down at her, and sighed. "Shut up already. I'm fine. Sorry for scaring you. Now be quiet."

She still stared up at him anxiously, her hands on his arms. "Yami-sama, what wrong?" Hotaru questioned softly. Feeling her small hands tremble, he sighed again and placed a hand on her head. "Stop it. I told you, didn't I? I'm fine." She lowered her hands but continued to look up at him, a hopeful expression on her face. _**What the fuck am I doing?**_ He quickly took a step away from her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. _**Why do those memories always make me treat her kindly? The two are not connected! What the fuck is wrong with me?**_ Berating himself mentally, Yami turned and stormed away from her, leaving the girl to stare after him with a confused expression, her book lying forgotten near her feet. _**Why her, of all people?**_

Bakura, who had been lost in his own daydream, found her there five minutes later, gazing at the book on the ground. "Aoimori-san? What are you doing?" He asked as he knelt to retrieve the book for her. "Did you hit yourself trying to reach this one?" Startled, Hotaru looked up at him and shook her head, a shadow of a smile on her face. Oblivious to her uneasiness, Bakura continued speaking. "If this isn't the one you want, you should put it back." He said as he placed the book back on the shelf, not noticing her hand reaching for it. Turning, he saw her with her hand outstretched and an unreadable expression on her face. _She's so cute! She wants to hold my hand but can't ask!_ With that happy thought in mind, Bakura seized her hand. "Where do you want to go next, Aoimori-san?" Not waiting to hear her answer, Bakura lead her out of the shop, still caught up in his own daydream.

He nearly dragged her to a nearby café, not noticing her hesitance. Or perhaps he did notice but was so caught up in fantasy he misinterpreted it as something else. Finding a small table in the corner, he pulled out her chair for her before sitting down himself. _Maybe we'll share a dessert while holding hands?_ At that thought, his face turned red as his eyes closed while a smile formed on his lips. _Maybe she'll kiss me at the end of this date!_ "Ryou-san?" Her soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "Y-Yes, Aoimori-san?" He answered a little loudly, causing her to jump and other customers to glance over. "I go home? Pain in head." She murmured, looking away from him with her arms crossed loosely in front of her. Crestfallen, Bakura stood and offered her his hand. "Alright. At least allow me to walk you home." He offered.

()()()()()

Later that afternoon, Bakura returned to his home, disappointed and angry. He had walked Hotaru to her apartment; half hoping that she would invite him upstairs. However, the girl had thanked him for the day and disappeared inside the building before he could say anything. Yami had disappeared as well so he could only assume the Ancient Spirit had something to do with it. _That asshole, I bet he threatened her again! How dare he ruin my date!_ Slamming the door shut, he stopped in his tracks when he saw his darker half lounging on the couch.

"You! What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded as he kicked off his shoes. Yami glanced over at him, an eyebrow raised. "I will assume that to be rhetorical." He stated as he straightened his back. "Don't play dumb! What the hell did you do to Aoimori-san?" Bakura stomped over to him and glared down at him, his hands in fists at his side. Never one to resist a challenge, Yami stood up, privately enjoying the fact that he was a few inches taller than his lighter half. "For your information, you insolent whelp, I did nothing to that bitch. Hotaru was just fine when I left her." He lingered on her name to taunt Bakura, watching as the teen crossed his arms and glowered at him.

"You're lying. The moment we left the bookstore, she said she had a headache and wanted to go home. It was a fun date until that moment so you must've done something in the bookstore when I wasn't around!" At Bakura's possessive way of speaking, Yami felt the ice expand inside his chest and his hands tingled with the need to punch something. "Stop being so self-centered! Did it occur to you that the wench was tired of being dragged around like your doll? I bet you didn't even give her enough time to purchase the book she wanted." Bakura gaped at him, his own rage spreading through him. Before he could speak, Yami held up a hand and silenced him with a look. "Save it. Your relationship is yours. But don't you dare blame me if it doesn't work." At that, the Thief King turned and stormed away.

()()()()()

The next morning passed in silence. Bakura and Yami didn't speak to each other at all as they got ready for school and nearly knocked each other over trying to beat the other one out the door. The walk to school passed in a similar fashion. On the walk, Bakura looked for Hotaru but when he didn't see her, he assumed that she had gone without him.

They reached the school and headed to the classroom, still ignoring each other. Once inside, Bakura was relieved to see Hotaru sitting at her desk, quietly writing in her notebook. Watching his lighter half head over to the girl, Yami sighed and pushed his hair back. _**He's so obvious, its pathetic.**_ He thought for a moment before he realized that the icy feeling in his chest had expanded at the sight. _**Hell no. I am not jealous. I am annoyed**_. Yami told himself resolutely as he stormed over to his seat.

One by one, Yami observed his classmates walking in. It did amuse him, that no matter what era he was in, people still behaved the same. When Yugi and Anzu entered the classroom, he crossed his arms and stared out the window. He would not enter into a conversation with those two if he could help it. "Hey, what the hell's wrong with you? Your old age getting to you?" An obnoxious voice chimed out from behind him. Glancing up, Yami glowered at Jonouchi while the blonde teen perched on his desk. "I would ask you what you wanted, but I don't really care." Yami told him tersely as he turned away from him. "Whatever, you douche, I just wanted to ask if Bakura and Aoimori were going out." The teen sniffed, fiddling with his bangs. At that, Yami glanced over at the mentioned two and stiffened. Bakura had pulled up a chair next to her desk and was leaning over her to see what she had written. Yami could see Hotaru's profile as she looked up at him in what appeared to be a dazed expression. "Go ask for yourself." He finally snapped at Jonouchi.

The former delinquent opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by the sound of his phone chiming. Throughout the classroom, other students hesitated as their phones went off as well. One by one, the phones snapped open and a collective gasp and nervous laugh echoed throughout the room. Being the only two people in the classroom without a cellphone, Hotaru and Yami looked at each other in confusion. Bakura opened his phone and after staring at the screen for a minute, he jumped to his feet and rounded on Yami. "What the hell did you do?" He demanded, storming over to him. Yami rose and snatched Bakura's phone so that he could see the image.

It was low quality but unmistakable; it was a photo of him and Hotaru. It appeared to be from the bookstore when he had collapsed on her and pinned her to the bookcase. Even though he knew what had happened, the photo made it look like a passionate embrace. It didn't help that whoever took the photo caught Hotaru just as she had turned to him, calling his name. Staring at the image, Yami felt the ice inside his chest spread at the realization that he was at fault for whatever happened. He glanced at the girl, who had borrowed Anzu's phone to see. Her face was void of color and her shoulders were trembling. At her reaction, he could see the edges of his vision turning red. _**When people get the message? I am the only one allowed to harm her. That is my right and mine alone!**_ Bakura, who had been about to launch into Yami for his actions, halted at the Ancient Spirit's murderous expression as he glared at the phones.

"Oh, I see you got the message." A female voice taunted, laughing, from the hallway. Almost all of the heads turned to see Miho stride into the room, a cold sneer on her face. She walked straight to Hotaru and stood in front of her with her hands on her hips. "Did you really think you would get away with it? You ignorant little whore." She continued, flicking her ponytail with one hand. "Miho! Why did you do this?" Anzu cried as she stared at her friend. Miho barely spared her a glance. "She needed to learn her place. Outsiders do not get to come in here and ruin the lives of others." Bakura was shocked; he knew Miho liked him but didn't think she would ever go to such extremes. Yami, on the other hand, was furious. _**Women are so petty and stupid. Why did they ever do away with the custom of striking such women?**_ While he vividly pictured grabbing that white ponytail and slamming her face into a wall, the girl was still talking. She had started jabbing her finger into Hotaru's collarbone with every word while the shorter girl just stared up at her.

"I see how you would sleep with anyone who looked at you, but I don't understand what those two see in you." Miho was saying, her eyes cruel as she smirked down at Hotaru. It was clear she thought she had won and had no problem gloating. "I mean, they deserve so much better. Who would have thought that they had such poor judgment?" Hotaru reached up and grabbed Miho's wrist, squeezing hard enough that the girl cried out. "What the hell are you doing, you psycho bitch?" She squealed, reaching up her free hand as if to strike Hotaru. The shorter girl calmly ducked under the swipe while her small fist slammed straight into Miho's face.

Before anyone could realize what had happened, Hotaru had landed another punch in Miho's stomach before twisting the girl's arm behind her back. Yami was the first to come to his senses as he watched the smaller girl fight. _**Holy shit. Who would've thought that that little girl could punch. She's hardly a kitten anymore. **_He thought as he observed the fierce glare on her face. Unlike that time with Jonouchi, she had finally snapped with Miho."Apologize! Apologize now!" Hotaru was yelling as she twisted the girl's arm harder behind her back. Miho was crying as blood dripped down her chin from her busted lip. Other students were attempting to separate them, but no one could make Hotaru loosen her grip.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Half of the students fled, thinking it was the teacher who had shouted. However, Setou Kaiba stormed into the classroom with his cellphone in one hand. He took one look at Hotaru and Miho before he shoved the phone into his pocket and moved over to them. In one quick movement, he tore Miho away from Hotaru and slapped the shorter girl across the face. Not giving her a second to recover, he grabbed the collar of her shirt and lifted her above the ground. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?" He demanded again, this time in English. The girl stared up at him with wide eyes, a red mark forming on her cheek. _**That bastard….**_That was the only coherent thought Yami had as he instantly appeared at Hotaru's side.

"I could ask you the same thing." He growled, grabbing Hotaru by the back of her neck and pulling her from Kaiba's grasp. Once the girl was behind him, he glowered at the CEO, the Millennium Eye appearing on his forehead. Kaiba glared back at him as he crossed his arms. "Stay out of this. This is not of your concern." Yami leaned back as the Eye became more visible on his forehead. "Really? Her life is mine, do you forget that? Therefore, this does concern me." He told him, feeling his rage growing by the second. _**First that insolent woman and now this bastard….How many people shall I kill before they understand this girl is mine?**_ The Eye appeared on his palms and upper arms as he imagined how he would tear these people to shreds. Before he could say anymore, he felt someone's arms wrap around his torso and pull him back slightly from Kaiba. Irritated and ready to strike whoever had grabbed him, he glanced over at his shoulder. Hotaru embraced him, her forehead pressing into his back as she trembled slightly. "Please, no. My fault, all mine. Please, Yami-sama, no." She begged, her hands clutching the front of his shirt.

Yugi stood next to Bakura and both of them watched in shock as the Eyes slowly faded from the Thief King as he looked down at the girl. Yugi couldn't believe that someone had been able to calm down the murderous spirit without violence. Bakura was startled to see a flicker of softness cross Yami's face as he complied with the girl's wishes. To the remainder of the class who couldn't see the Eye, it merely looked like the girl had stopped Yami from ripping Kaiba's face off. Kaiba merely quirked an eyebrow as he was able to see the Millennium Eye. However, it didn't do anything to the furious expression on his face.

Yami, on the other hand, had stopped paying attention to everyone but the girl. "Alright." He told her quietly as he felt his rage subside slightly. She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "Yami-sama…Thank you.." Hotaru murmured as she slowly removed her arms from around him. "That was sweet, but that doesn't resolve the issue here." Kaiba interrupted, his eyes locked on Hotaru. Yami tensed, ready to destroy Kaiba, but was stopped by Hotaru putting a hand on his arm. She stepped around him and stared up at her friend. "I will not apologize for striking her. She deserved it." She told Kaiba in English as she glanced over at Miho. The girl had finally stopped crying and was standing by herself with a handkerchief pressed to her mouth.

"You are not to fight. You know this." Kaiba told her sternly, crossing his arms again. "Come. We must clean up this mess." He extended a hand to her. After a moment's hesitation and a glance at Yami, she placed her hand in his. His hand tightened and he pulled her to his chest and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You there. When you have sufficiently calmed, call my secretary. I'll cover any medical expenses." Kaiba said to Miho before turning back to Yami. "You. You may pick her up after classes today. She'll be at my office." Before Yami could respond, Kaiba walked out of the classroom, keeping Hotaru tightly pressed to his side.

_**What the hell just happened?**_

_What the hell just happened?_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note:**** It has been quite a while, hasn't it? My apologies for taking so long to write this chapter. I sincerely hope that it was worth the wait. **_

_**Since its been a while, here's the disclaimer once more; I own nothing but the plot and a name or two. Nothing else.  
**_

* * *

The moment Kaiba and Hotaru disappeared from sight; the classroom erupted into chaos once more. Several girls had gathered together, shrieking over the displays of violence while more still were arguing loudly about how they interpreted the events. Even Bakura and Yugi appeared to still be in shock. Yami, on the other hand, clenched his jaw and strode out of the classroom. As far as he was concerned, the situation was far from over, and he would be dammed if he left that girl in the hands of that bastard. Ignoring the calls from his lighter half, he stormed down the hallway just in time to see Kaiba pull Hotaru down the stairs.

"Hold it right there, you bastard!" Yami shouted as he broke into a sprint, quickly catching up to the two. They both turned to face him at the same, Hotaru with a surprised expression while Kaiba merely looked annoyed. "What in the hell do you want now?" The young CEO demanded, crossing his arms. Instead of answering immediately, Yami grabbed Hotaru's arm and pulled the girl to him. With his other hand, he gripped her chin and forced her to turn her head so that he could examine the mark on her face. "You bastard. There was no need to strike her. She was in the right." The Ancient Spirit glowered, tightening his grip as the girl struggled slightly.

"Hotaru was hysterical, that was the fastest way of calming her." Kaiba stated, glaring down at him. "Regardless of who was at fault, she still hit another student. The headmaster must be notified as soon as possible so that we can eliminate any chance of a scandal. Not to mention, the spread of that photo must be contained." Yami released Hotaru's face at her whimper but kept his hold on her arm as he matched Kaiba's glare with an icy one of his own. "Scandal? What the hell are you talking about? No one cares about a couple of high school idiots duking it out." At that, Kaiba turned to Hotaru, an eyebrow raised. "I take it you haven't told any of them what you're doing here in Japan." He spoke in English, much to Yami's chagrin.

Hotaru shook her head, staring up at Kaiba with pleading eyes. "It's not their business. Nor is it yours, Setou, to tell them before I do." Despite her pitiful expression, her voice was firm as she replied in English. "Whatever. I suppose you do have that much freedom while you're here." Kaiba shook his head before turning his attention back to Yami. "Forget it. Now release her, we must sort this out with the principal before your idiot classmates blow it out of proportion." When Yami still made no move to release her, Hotaru tugged on his sleeve with her free hand. "I see later, Yami-sama? I to fix my bad now." At her words, the Thief King glanced down at her. "Don't get expelled, you dummy. Bakura will never shut up about if you do." He told her with a sigh as he released her. She smiled at him and nodded before following Kaiba down the stairs.

Without anything left to do, Yami turned and went back to the classroom. The teacher had finally made her appearance and was doing everything possible to regain control of the classroom. Miho was still crying, but now she had Honda and a few girls by her side, clearly lending their support. Bakura and Yugi were standing near Anzu and Jonouchi, all of them wearing matching concerned expressions. Once Yami walked into the room, Bakura broke away from the group and marched over to him with hands tightly clenched into fists. "What the hell was that all about?" He demanded, standing only a few inches away from his darker half, a furious expression on his face.

"That bastard is taking her to principal to explain the situation before that incompetent fool gets a chance to." Yami replied, jerking his thumb in the direction of their struggling homeroom teacher. Bakura shook his head and crossed his arms. "Not that! What the hell was that picture? And why did you lose it like that? You were about to open the door to darkness!" Suddenly feeling extremely irritated, the Thief King placed a hand on his other half and shoved him with just enough force to make him back up a few steps. "What I do is none of your business. As for the photo, there are two other people involved, ask one of them!" That said, he brushed past the rest of his classmates and stormed out of the room. _**Fucking idiots, all of them. If Bakura is so pissed, he should have been the one to do something instead of waiting to judge my actions.**_ Without having made a decision about what to do, Yami left the schools ground. All he knew was that was done dealing with that dramatic group.

As he walked along the sidewalk, his mind kept replaying the images of the furious Hotaru as she fought Miho. _**Who would have thought she had a temper…Guess she's not as pathetic as I originally thought.**_ He would never admit it, not even to himself, but Yami was a little proud of the girl for finally standing up for herself, even if her method was a little more extreme than the norm. _**That bastard though…How dare he lay his hands on her…He should be grateful to that whelp for stopping me.**_ As these thoughts continued, Yami stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "What am I thinking about? Why should I give a fuck if that girl has a spine or not?" He groaned, pulling his hair in his frustration. Regardless of what he did, that girl remained in his minds, completely unwelcome and impossible to forget. _**Ra…What is wrong with me…**_

_****_()()()()()

While Yami mentally beat himself up, Bakura had visions of physical violence towards the ancient soul. His darker half continuously threatened Hotaru but then took it upon himself to rescue her every time she needed it. "He needs to mind his own damn business." The white-haired teenager muttered as he sat back in his desk.

"I wouldn't worry about Yami or his actions right now." Yugi said, the shorter teenager moving to stand near his friend. "We should be hoping that Aoimori-san isn't expelled. Domino High takes fighting very seriously." Bakura shook his head, glancing over at the girl's empty desk. "Kaiba won't let that happen to her. I don't know what his deal is, but he's protecting her too. I'm the one that's useless." Before Yugi could comment on that, the teacher had finally calmed the majority of the class and demanded attention in order to start the lesson.

Halfway through the class, Miho was summoned via intercom to appear in the headmaster's office at once. When she left, the class resumed their chatter, with the loudest offenders being Honda and Jonouchi. Honda was obviously on Miho's side while Jonouchi had apparently decided to defend Hotaru. The two former delinquents were standing in the middle of the room, yelling at each other while several of their classmates egged them on. Anzu and Yugi had each leapt to their feet and stood between their friends, attempting to calm them before they resorted to violence.

Despite the commotion, Bakura remained in his seat with his gaze on Hotaru's empty desk. _This is my fault. If I hadn't left her alone with Yami, this wouldn't have happened to her. I didn't protect her…How can I convince her to forgive me and rely on me after this?_ He placed his head in his hands and sighed, unaccustomed feeling of jealousy and frustration swirling within him. Before he could dwell further on his inner turmoil, the door slid open, revealing a much calmer Hotaru than when he had last seen her. The arguments stilled, all eyes watching to see what she would do now. Other than the obvious red mark on her cheek from Kaiba striking her, it was impossible to guess from her expression what had transpired in the principal's office.

She walked over to the exasperated teacher and handed her a typed note before moving on to her desk. Upon reaching it, she gathered her books and placed them in her school bag. Bakura moved to his feet and stood near her, unsure of what to say. "I no have school. Three days." Hotaru finally spoke to him, looking up with an embarrassed smile. "I allowed to return but Setou is mad." She shook her head and glanced at Yugi and the others. "See later." She waved her hand before exiting the classroom without once looking back at Bakura. "So she's been suspended, huh? That's much better than expulsion but still a little harsh." Anzu sighed, leaning back in her chair. Bakura dropped to his seat, his surprise evident on his face. _What exactly is she to Kaiba? He must've pulled some serious strings to convince the school to not expel her. He wouldn't do that for just anyone…_

_()()()()()_

Without even realizing how he arrived there, Yami found himself waiting outside of Hotaru's apartment building. _**Really? What the fuck is wrong with me? Why should I be concerned about that girl! She's nothing but trouble!**_ After about twenty minutes of arguing with himself, he took a step in the direction of his apartment but was stopped when he felt something latch on to the tail of his coat. Glancing over his shoulder, he raised an eyebrow as he took in the sight of Hotaru staring up at him with wondering eyes, one pale hand holding onto his coat. "What are you doing home?" Yami asked her, turning fully around to face her and forcing her to let go of his jacket.

"Suspension. Three days." Hotaru answered, dropping her eyes to the snow on the ground. "Suspension, huh? That's not too bad." Yami said, shrugging. The normalness of his reply caught the girl off guard and she stared up at him with wide eyes. "Why here, Yami-sama?" She questioned, still staring up at him. At that, Yami turned away from her and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Don't get all excited. I was just taking a walk and you happened to pass at the same time." He told her, mildly satisfied to note the confused expression on her face as she tried to process what he said.

A moment passed before he turned to her quickly, his cold eyes locking with hers. "Listen to me carefully. You better understand and answer me honestly." He told her, waiting until she nodded before continuing. "Why did you lose it back there? Why didn't you wait for me or Bakura to step in? Or even let the idiots in charge handle it?" Yami demanded as he watched her shoulders slump and her eyes fall to the snow. "You could nothing." Hotaru finally mumbled, nudging a small pile of the snow with the toe of her shoe. "What the hell does that mean?" He took a step closer, causing the girl to look up at him. "Happened in past! Outside people do nothing! Make worse!" Her eyes flashed as she stared at him, her charcoal orbs boring into his.

When she made a move as if to flee into her apartment, Yami instinctively seized her arms and pulled her closer so that they were merely inches apart. "We're not done here. Explain yourself!" When the girl continued to struggle, Yami lowered his head so that their eyes were on the same level. The Millennium Ring glowed softly under his shirt and he watched as her eyes glossed over and her body became limp in his hands. "Now then. Tell me what you mean." He commanded, his voice a little quieter. _**Damn girl. Even I find hypnotism to be a dirty trick but you left me with no choice. How can I decide to ignore this or not if I don't even know the whole story? **_

"I in Japan because of pictures." Hotaru began, her voice in a flat monotone while her eyes were fixated on some point over Yami's shoulder. "False picture of my father. My grandfather takes company for to protect from the scandal. I to win back." Yami sighed, mildly frustrated by her lack of knowledge of Japanese. Deciding that he wouldn't be able to assemble an accurate idea of the situation due to her language barrier, he again lowered his eyes to her. "Forget that you saw me here. I release you." The Ring shimmered as he spoke. Before she regained her senses, Yami pushed her towards her apartment's entrance and quickly moved several feet away.

From the end of the street, Yami stopped to watch as the small girl shook her head and looked around, apparently confused as to why she was standing outside of her apartment. When she finally disappeared within in the doors, he sighed and placed a hand on his head. "What the fuck am I doing?" Unlike the other times he berated himself, Yami's tone was more exasperated than furious as he resumed walking. Whether it was guilt from hypnotizing her or some other cause, he couldn't bring himself to anger after seeing that the girl was alright. It was a feeling that rather disturbed him but there was nothing he could do about it.

()()()()()

Several hours later, Bakura returned to his apartment, his head bowed and hands shoved in his pockets. Thanks to the distractions in the classroom, he had had plenty of time to consider all of the ways he had failed in protecting Hotaru. _Hell, there's probably more I've done and haven't realized…Man, I suck._ He groaned as he shoved the door open only to pause at the sight of Yami on the couch, glaring at the remote.

The Thief King noticed Bakura and stood up, holding out the remote as if he were holding a rodent. "Good, you're back. Make this infernal contraption cooperate." He stated, a cross expression on his face. Bakura slammed the door shut and kicked his shoes off. "Why don't you figure it out? You seem to be good at everything I can't do!" He snapped, shoving past the Ancient Soul and stormed to his bedroom. Before Yami could even open his mouth, Bakura had slammed his own door shut and the faint click of the lock sliding into place could be heard throughout the apartment. "Ra, what's his problem?" Yami muttered, tossing the remote onto the coffee table and leaning back on the couch cushions with his eyes closed.

()()()()()

The next morning when Yami woke up, Bakura had already left for school. There was no note, no message; the only indicating factor was the absence of Bakura's school shoes and the cereal bowl in the kitchen. _**That boy…What is going on with him? Is he that upset because of that girl? **_Yami stood up and stretched, a frown on his face. A quick glance at the clock told him there would be no point in leaving for school. "Oh, why do I even bother? I'm a thousand years old; I don't fucking need high school." He yawned and stretched before ambling off in search of clothes.

Several minutes later, Yami left the apartment dressed in jeans, a black shirt, and a dark green trench coat. There was nothing to do within the apartment so the Ancient Spirit decided he might as well wander the city until he found something interesting to kill time. Even though it was early in the morning, the city was bustling with life as adults and students hurried to their destinations. As one particularly loud group of high school students passed Yami, he caught a raven colored flicker in the corner of his eye. Turning quickly, he saw that it was only the feathered collar on a girl's coat. Sighing, he shook his head and brushed his bangs away from his eyes. "Now I'm fucking seeing her everywhere." He groaned. "Ra, is this my punishment? To be constantly tormented by this wretch?" Yami raised his head to the sky as if seeking a divine response. Instead, it began to snow heavily with the wind whipping up the snow from the streets. "Asshole!" The Ancient Spirit swore and quickly ran to the nearest building.

Once inside, Yami sighed again when he realized he had found Domino City's public library. As expected, it was rather deserted with the exception of a frumpy librarian and a few rather distressed university students hastily completing some project or another. He stood there for a moment, contemplating whether he should attempt to brave the detested snow for a more interesting location or just make do with what was offered. His thoughts were interrupted, however, by something light colliding into his back. With a murderous glare, he glanced over his shoulder, prepared to berate the careless fool. The fool in question had caught her balance and was apologetically bowing to him, her small white hands gripping the end of her coat and her black hair hanging in front of her face. "You. Can't you ever pay attention to your surroundings?" Yami demanded, once the girl straightened, revealing her heart-shaped face and charcoal eyes.

Hotaru smiled sheepishly and gestured to the door. "Heavy snow. To not see clear. I sorry." She said, glancing back up at him. "Yami-sama, why here? No school?" She questioned once his glare had softened slightly. Yami shook his head and sighed again. "I don't need to go to school. There is nothing there they can teach me." He told her, almost sounding proud of the knowledge he had acquired in his long life. "What about English?" Hotaru asked innocently as she moved a little further into the building.

Yami paused for a second, staring at her for a moment before her meaning sunk in. "Hey now! You little wretch!" He snapped indignantly as she hurried away from him, laughing. He caught up with her after a few paces and wrapped his arm loosely around her neck, pulling her back against his chest. "Don't they pride themselves on manners in England?" Yami demanded, unable to keep the smirk off his face as he looked down at the still laughing girl. Hotaru leaned against him and tilted her chin so that her eyes were matched with his and stuck her tongue out at him. "England much too stuffy." He would have replied had not the librarian stood up and loudly knocked on her desk. At once, he released the girl and stepped back from her, quickly shoving his hands into his pockets.

Hotaru gave him a confused look which he pointedly ignored by walking amongst the shelves. When he noticed that she was still following him, Yami turned around with a stern expression. "Shouldn't you be in school?" She stopped and looked sullenly at the rows of books. "No school. Three days for fighting." Hotaru mumbled, crossing her arms loosely in front of her chest. At that, Yami took a step closer to her, his dark eyes glowering down into hers. "I'm not satisfied with yours answers about that day." He told her, grabbing her shoulders when she made to move away from him. "Why would you care so much about a fake picture? Do you have a boyfriend or something?" At that, Hotaru's eyes widened and she quickly averted her gaze.

Seeing her reaction, Yami felt the ice inside his chest expand almost painfully and he involuntarily tightened his grip. "Is that it? You have a boyfriend back in England?" His voice was low, his trademark indication that he was about to snap. When she didn't say anything, he shook her as his fingers dug into her skin. "Answer me! You owe me your life, remember? Now answer me!" Hotaru's head snapped up and she met his icy glare with a furious one of her own. Raising her hands, she placed them on his chest and shoved him as hard as she could. "Why you care?" She cried out, writhing in his grasp. Her shove hadn't even made him an inch, only incensed him to pull her closer.

"Yami-sama! You no to make sense! Save, hurt, save again, and hurt more! Make up mind! You hate Hotaru?" She asked, still pushing at his chest. Tears of frustration formed in her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks as she stared up at him. Taken aback, Yami stared down at her, his glare slowly changing to shock. At his moment of silence, a few tears escaped and she lowered her head to use her bangs to hide them from him. Watching this, Yami felt the familiar lightheadedness and tightened his grip on her as if to use her as an anchor to the present. However, the blurred flow of memories filled his eyes and blocked out the distressed girl in front of him.

Instead of providing glimpses of other memories before one presented itself, this time, Yami was immediately dropped into one of his ancient memories without any sort of preamble. Unlike the other memories, it was night time. He was standing on a dune near the largest tree that had managed to survive in the desert. It was near freezing and he shivered, even in his voluminous robes. However, instead of turning back to town where he knew he would find warmth, Yami remained atop that dune, scanning the landscape. That girl that always appeared was nowhere to been. At once, her name formed on the tip of his tongue and he felt the worry he must have felt so many years ago. "Amunet! Amunet! Please, it's me! Where are you hiding?" He called, hearing his words carried away by the wind.

A moment passed before a rustle in the treetop caused him to glance skywards. There, hidden amongst the thick branches was a small figure crouching against the cold. With a relieved smile, Yami extended his arms. "Come, Amunet. Pride cannot keep you warm on such a night." More rustling and then the girl appeared fully in his sight. There was no doubt about it; in this memory Yami could clearly see that this girl and Hotaru shared the same face and almost the same size. Similarly, the girl also appeared to have been crying. Her tear stained face was clear, even in the moonlight, and her small shoulders were still shaking. "Come to me, Amunet. You'll fall ill if you stay up there for too long." The girl he had called Amunet sat down on the branch and stared down at him as more tears rolled down her face. He took a step closer to the trunk and extended his hands up to her. "Please, my Amunet?" At his tone, she moved closer to him before trustingly leaping down from the branch.

Just as she would have landed in his arms, Yami felt himself violently jerked out of the memory by a stinging pain on the side of his face. Coming to his senses, he realized that Hotaru had managed to shake one arm out of his hold and wasted no time in slapping him. "You scare me! Let go!" Her voice was one level short of shrieking and he complied, in a daze. _**She actually struck me. This little wench really is developing a back bone…**_ He thought, almost amazed at her nerve as she backed away from him, shaking her head a few times before dashing out of the library.

_**Shit. What does she think she's doing, running in her condition? That stupid girl…**_ Without fully considering his actions, Yami took off at a sprint after her. He reasoned with himself that it would be more trouble than it was worth if she collapsed from exhaustion after he had upset her. He told himself that Bakura would never let it go if something happened to the girl. With those shaky resolutions in place, Yami ran out on to the sidewalk, his head swiveling to find the girl. Knowing that she couldn't have gotten very far, he glanced at the end of the street in time to see a small figure rounding a corner and disappearing from sight. _**Stupid, emotional girl. **_He followed her, his longer legs allowing him to catch up more quickly.

Fortunately, for Yami's sake, Hotaru still didn't know the layout of Domino very well so by the time he caught up to her, she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, looking around with a frustrated expression. "Got yourself so upset you forgot the way home?" Yami asked as he stepped up behind her. The girl whirled around and glared up at him with teary eyes. Instead of answering him, Hotaru crossed her arms and looked away from him, her mouth set in a thin line. Watching this, he couldn't help but smirk at her little display of pride. He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing the girl to glance at him. "My…apologies for frightening you in the library. I was a little light headed and lost focus." Yami mumbled, not completely comfortable apologizing for anything. Yet, he had convinced with himself that in order to better manipulate this girl further, it was necessary.

Hotaru stared at him for a moment as if she were trying to decide whether or not to believe him. A moment passed before a smile lit up her face. "Feel okay, Yami-sama?" She asked, reaching up to touch his forehead. The Ancient Spirit took a step back and smacked her hand, his usual cross expression back on his face. "That is none of your concern." He snapped, turning around and beginning to walk away. The girl placed her hands in her pockets and followed after him, an amused smile on her face. Glancing over his shoulder, Yami couldn't prevent the smirk crossing his features as he watched her follow him with that bright little smile. When her eyes locked with his, he cleared his throat and quickly averted his eyes, frowning slightly at her laugh. _**Shit…I feel too comfortable with her…It might be difficult to dispose of her later…**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's note:**__** I had more time and ideas than I expected so I hope everyone is pleased to have another chapter so soon. I hope it is to your liking. I am always up for feedback if you dislike the direction of the story. I can't promise to follow the reviews, but there's no sense in uploading this if everyone has lost interest, right? **_

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"How long do you plan on following me?" Yami demanded after he had walked several blocks with Hotaru trailing behind him. The girl in question quickly looked up from her study of the snow and smiled at him. "I now lost. Yami-sama fault." She replied with another smile as she raised her eyes to the sky. "Japan snow so pretty. England too much. Not special day after day." Yami frowned at her conversation change and sighed, his breath forming a small cloud in front of his face.

"Aren't you scared of me? Shouldn't you go home?" He questioned, stopping a couple of feet away from her. Hotaru smiled once more and shook her head. "No scary now. Now lost, Yami-sama. I not to know this part." A moment passed and that grin faded slightly. "I to annoy? Yami-sama want leave?" Her voice was a little quiet now as she stuck her hands back into the pockets of her black coat. At her tone, he sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. "You are so dumb." He mumbled before taking a few steps towards her. "Your apartment is two blocks that way." He told her, pointing his finger west.

Hotaru looked at him for a moment, her eyes searching his. Finally, her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head, an embarrassed expression on her face. "Sorry, Yami-sama. No mean to bother." With her head bowed, she walked quickly past him without another word. Yami watched her go while feeling the ice in his chest expand painfully. _**Damn it, don't look like a fucking kicked kitten! Stupid girl! **_Against his better judgment, he caught up with her and wrapped his hand around her elbow. She turned back to him with startled eyes that mirrored the panic he felt inside. _**What the fuck am I doing now?**_ _** I should have let her leave! That would have been so easy! **_"Was there somewhere you wanted to go? Bakura never did show you around properly, did he?" Yami asked, annoyed that the ice in his chest was shrinking at the hope shining on her face.

"Really, Yami-sama? Yami-sama to show?" Hotaru's voice betrayed her excitement as she clasped his hand in both of hers. He cleared his throat again and shrugged, forcing a nonchalant appearance to his face. "I have nothing better to do anyways. You're rare hunter bait, so maybe something exciting will happen." He said as he quickly freed his hand. _**What am I doing? Why did I agree to go anywhere with this wretch?**_ "Ra, I'm such a fool.." He murmured aloud, ignoring the confused look Hotaru gave him. "Well? I don't have all day. Was there somewhere in this boring town you wanted to see?" Yami demanded after a moment, crossing his arms and glaring down at her.

Undeterred, Hotaru beamed and nodded once. "Yes, Yami-sama! Art picture building please to see?" Yami frowned at her Japanese but shrugged and began walking anyways. "There are not too many museums in this city. Don't get all excited over something so small." He told her as he strode down the sidewalk without a glance back at her. With another smile on her face and her hands in her pockets, Hotaru followed after him. As they walked, Yami cleared his throat again and glowered at the snow. _**On top of putting myself in a stupid situation, it's fucking cold out. Why in the hell did my soul have to wind up here of all places? There ain't nothing wrong with places that don't fucking snow. **_

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud chirping noise behind him. Whirling around, Yami raised an eye brow as he watched Hotaru fumble in her coat pockets until she finally produced a small silver cell phone. With an apologetic smile in his direction, she flipped open the phone and held it to her ear. Before she could say a word, even Yami could hear the loud and angry male voice yelling at her through the line. "Ah…Setou, I'm sorry. I went out today since there wasn't anything to do at my apartment." Hotaru answered, her English words lost on Yami. _**Damn girl, she learned that language well enough. Couldn't she learn Japanese any faster? **_The Ancient Spirit thought as he watched her facial expressions. Even though Bakura had a decent grasp on English and through him, Yami did as well, Hotaru was speaking too quickly and too fluently for him to keep up. But it didn't take a genius to understand that she was both apologizing and arguing with whoever was on the other line.

"I didn't come to Japan to sit my room all day! I'm allowed to go out and have some fun now and then." Her voice rose slightly and she had placed her hand on her hip. Standing there in the cold and watching her become upset, Yami felt himself growing more and more irritated. _**Who the hell is she talking to? What are they saying to upset her? **_He waited a couple more minutes before he walked over to her and snatched her phone from her hands. Ignoring her protests, he placed the phone to his ear and cleared his throat before speaking. "What the fuck do you want?" He stated, satisfied to hear the line become absolutely silent for a minute. "Why the hell are you with her? Where is she?" The voice demanded, sounding incredibly familiar. A second passed before Yami realized who he was talking to and a sneer formed on his face at the presented opportunity. "Ah, Kaiba. You're awfully worked up for one little girl. Tell me, how important is she to you?"

Hotaru gasped at his tone, unable to fully translate the sentence but recognizing the intentions in his voice. "Yami-sama, please, no do." She pleaded as she tried to reclaim her cellphone. With a sigh, Yami placed a hand on her head and pushed her away before turning his attention back to the phone. The cold must have affected him because he sighed again and when he spoke once more, his tone was flat. "She's in front of the convenience store two blocks south of the library. Hurry now, Kaiba. Wouldn't want her kidnapped again with no one to rescue her, would you?" With that said, he hung up the phone and handed it back to her. "Be quiet and wait here. Kaiba will pick you up soon." He told her as she just stared up at him. "Yami-sama, why?" She asked, lowering her gaze to the tips of her shoes. "I have something better to do today than babysit the likes of you. Now stay put." Without giving her time to reply, Yami turned and walked quickly away from her.

Just before he rounded the corner, Yami paused and glanced back at the girl. She was standing where he left her with her eyes still focused on the ground. The ice expanding painfully in his chest, Yami made himself continue walking. _**Why do I feel like this? I was able to get rid of her and rather easily. So why…**_ Shaking his head, Yami pushed his hair away from his eyes. "I really should do something about her now…If it continues like this, killing her might become too messy later on. I should have done something the day Bakura took an interest in her." He said aloud, ignoring the startled looks from the passersby.

With the same thoughts swirling around in his head, Yami reached Bakura's apartment and gratefully climbed into the warm apartment. "If I can find a way to make this body permanent, I am definitely going somewhere warm." The Thief King mumbled as he sank into the blissfully warm couch. A glance at the clock on the wall told him Bakura wasn't due home for another hour or two, providing plenty of time to sleep and force his mind to stop dwelling on that inconvenient girl.

()()()()()

Before he had realized it, Yami had drifted into a deep sleep that lasted all the way until the next morning. Sitting up, he groaned as he felt the irritation in his throat and the pounding in his head. _**Son of a bitch…I feel like shit…**_ He groaned again when he realized he was unable to focus clearly on the living room. "Agh, Bakura…Bakura, where do you keep the medical concoctions?" He strained to use his voice and when he tried to speak louder, he dissolved into a coughing fit. "Damn it all…Is this the fucking common cold people in this era are so prone to?" He mumbled as he dragged himself off the couch.

Staggering slightly, Yami managed to reach the bedroom by using the wall as a support. Upon finding the bedroom empty, he growled his frustration. _**What time is it? Where is that boy? **_Slowly making his way back to the living room, he nearly fell to see that he had managed to sleep the rest of the previous day, all through the night, only to awaken in this condition after the time Bakura would have left for school. "This would fucking happen…" The Ancient Spirit grumbled as he grabbed the phone. He stared at the device for a moment, trying to remember in his groggy state how to find a programmed number. A moment passed before he hit a series of keys, mildly satisfied to hear the ringing.

"Bakura, where are the medical supplies? I'm loathe to admit this but I seem to have caught a fever after spending so much time outside yesterday." Yami said as soon as the line picked up and before the other party could even say a word. "I blame you for this. If not for that damned girl, I wouldn't have been in the cold for so long." He turned to move back to the couch when suddenly the floor rushed up to meet him and his sight went black.

The next thing he knew, he was laying on something soft and warm but the pounding in his head hadn't diminished in the slightest. With a groan, Yami forced his eyes open and his body into a sitting position. Looking around, he raised an eyebrow to see that he was lying in Bakura's bed and was wearing a set of black pajamas. A half-filled bowl of soup was on the night stand near him, which he couldn't remember eating but still had the taste on his tongue. "How in the world…Bakura, are you home?" Yami wondered aloud before raising his voice. He could hear footsteps down the hall and abruptly a figure appeared in the doorway. He tried to sit up to better see the person but the world spun and his vision went black again before he could clearly see who was caring for him.

()()()()()()

Instead of drifting on into dreams, Yami found himself within the Millennium Ring, images from his past flying around him at a dizzying rate. "So this where they were stored…All along I had access to them.." Yami murmured as he attempted to focus on a memory. Within the chaos he caught glimpses of his life in Egypt, Bakura's childhood and then the years he had been with Bakura. "What a mess…Simply because I have a mere fever the Ring spirals out of control." He sighed and reached out his hand to the nearest memory. Just before it made contact with his fingertip, the image expanded and engulfed him before he had the chance to react.

The next thing he knew, Yami was standing underneath an awning, leaning against a building in the center of the town. The sun was beating down but a breeze made being outside bearable. He could hear children playing, women chattering, and men laughing. All around him he could see the lives of the townspeople and they all politely acknowledged him as they went about their way. "What part of my memories is this?" He wondered as he pushed himself off the building and looked around. None of his men were in sight so he assumed he was on his own. "I was dropped into a useless memory? What is the point of this?" Yami sighed as he began to walk. He couldn't remember but his feet knew the path to the tavern; maybe there he would find some answers.

However, he didn't take more than five steps when he felt something grab ahold of the back of his robe. Turning around, Yami's widened as he took in the sight before him. _**This girl…This Amunet…Why don't I remember this feeling clearly on my own?**_ His mind had been reduced down to this simple line as he stared at her. Yami had thought her beautiful in each of his earlier memories, but this time, her loveliness was showing an entirely new hair had been washed and it shone in the sunlight, a spectrum of dark colors tumbling down her shoulders to lightly graze her waist. Even the tunic she was wearing was different within this memory. Judging from the fabric, it was new, and had been dyed a deep scarlet that complimented her pale skin. Unlike her previous one, this one was the proper length, floating around her calves. The top was similar though, with a knot at each shoulder and a black cord to secure the material at her waist. Her dark eyes shone but her red mouth was pressed into a nervous line as she glanced up at him.

Yami smiled, unable to do anything else at the sight of this girl, and raised a hand to gently cup her cheek. "This color suits you, my Amunet." He told her, feeling something in his chest lift to see her smile in return. She bowed her head once before placing her small hand on his and turning to him, kissing his palm once before a bright smile lit her face. "Come now, I remember. I promised this day to you entirely. So tell me, what shall we do? What will make you smile, my Amunet?" Amunet shook her head, still smiling, before she wrapped her arms around his torso and stood on the tips of her toes to press her forehead against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, not understanding but certainly not willing to fight the warm feelings surging in his chest.

_**I still don't remember everything about this girl, but I remember enough. Whoever she was, I loved her with all that I was capable. Her existence made this town worth protecting…**_ Yami thought as he stared down at the top of her head. Even though he had been pushed into the memory, he had none of the knowledge his previous self had at this moment. Yet, he knew this memory to be true; he was not one to conjure peaceful memories just for the sake of having them.

He lowered his head and replaced his hand under her chin. Carefully, he lifted her face to press his mouth lightly against hers. "You still will not share your voice with me?" Yami questioned once he had pulled away, slightly amused by her starry-eyed expression. It faded though, at his question, and her charming eyes widened and filled with panic. She took a step back from him, shaking her head as her hands encircled her throat. Her lips parted and moved rapidly but no sound save her rapid breathing escaped them. "Oh Ra!" Yami quickly stepped forward and enveloped the girl in his arms, sheltering her within the voluminous folds of his robes. Carefully, he pulled her back into alley, away from the peering eyes of the villagers. "Be calm, my Amunet. You are safe. I swear on my life none shall harm you." He murmured softly, one arm pressing the trembling girl to his chest while the other stroked her hair.

Several long moments passed before Amunet stopped shaking and her breathing slowed. With small hands clutching the front of his robe, she looked up at him with frightened and injured eyes. "Oh, my Amunet. I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you." He cupped the side of her face, the pad of his thumb tracing her cheekbone. "I am sorry. I desire to possess your whole being. In my avarice, I frightened you and for that, I am truly sorry. Please forgive this greedy thief." Slowly, her expression calmed and she released the front of his robe to wrap her arms around his neck, standing on the very tips of her toes to reach him. With a relieved smile, he placed his hands at her waist and lifted her so that their faces were on the same level. "My precious Amunet, I do not deserve such a treasure." Amunet smiled, playing with his long hair with one hand while the other she moved to press against his cheek. Her eyelids fluttered shut and she leaned forward to press her lips against his.

The second their mouths touched, the memory shattered, leaving Yami to float inside the now empty Ring. "Damn it! What happened to her? Why can't I find that out? Why show me such happy memories and then steal them away again?" He shouted, his fists clenched and the Millennium Eye appearing on his forehead. "They are my memories! I have the right to them!" Even though it was pointless, it brought some relief to shout his frustrations. After all, he couldn't very well confide in Bakura that someone from his past shared Hotaru's face. His lighter half might not be able to handle that and there was no one else Yami would ever consider confiding in. The only other person to seem to have had his trust was swept away by the sands of time, leaving him with no clear idea as to what had happened to her. _**This sensation…I feel as if I actually was able to kiss her in person, rather than through a memory…**_ Yami thought as he raised a hand to his mouth. There was no mistaking it; the lingering feeling was almost too strong to be a remnant of his memories. Before he could dwell on it further, his mind went blank as whatever medicine he had been fed took effect and forced him into a dreamless sleep.

()()()()

Once the final bell had rung, Bakura leaped to his feet and darted out of the classroom, ignoring any startled cries of protest left in his wake. Sometime during lunch he had received a message from Hotaru. She had sent it entirely in English however, so it had taken some time to convince the English teacher to help him translate it. He changed his shoes before running out into the cold snow, barely taking the time to fasten his coat properly. Some more of his classmates called to him, their voices unheard as he glanced at his phone once more. Her message had stated that Yami called had mistakenly called her instead of Bakura and that he was ill. She had gone over to his apartment to take care of him until Bakura finished with classes. The very last line had said she would be angry if he left school early and he should not worry about Yami, that his 'brother' only had a slight fever.

"It's not that jerk I'm worried about…" Bakura muttered as he flew down the sidewalk. He didn't believe for a moment that Yami was actually sick, that instead the Ancient Spirit had planned it this way to lure the girl into their apartment on her own. Who knows what he could have done to her in the time Bakura wasted in class? Shaking his head, the teenager willed his legs to move faster and he made it to his apartment in hardly any time.

He made quick work of the stairs and pushed open his door, afraid of what would be waiting for him on the other side. There, sitting on his couch, was Hotaru, appearing to be completely fine. Her face was flushed however, and she had a hand pressed to her mouth but she didn't seem to be in any pain. "Aoimori-san? Are you alright?" Bakura asked, relieved, as he moved over to her. Startled, the girl jumped up and stared at him for a second before sighing. "Ryou-san, to scare." She murmured, shaking her head. "Yami-sama to sleep. Little eat, small medicine. No problem." Hotaru said in a rush, quickly pulling on her coat and sliding her feet into her boots. "Wait, you're leaving already? What happened?" He asked, both surprised and disappointed at her reaction. "Yes, day to clean and to laundry. Much to do. Bye, bye, Ryou-san." And just like that, the girl had rushed past him and disappeared down the stairs.

"That bastard…Did he do something to her?" Bakura growled, shutting the door before stomping down the hallway to his bedroom. As he pushed open the door, Yami sat up in the bed and yawned, facing him with a dazed expression. "Man, Bakura, what did you people do to herbal remedies? That was a powerful drug you gave me." The Thief King yawned again, stretching his arms above his head before sighing contentedly. "Thank you though, for your attentions. I feel a lot better now." Bakura stared at him for a moment, dumbstruck. "My attentions?"

Yami glanced up at him as he stretched again. "The fresh sleep wear, the meal, and the medicine. Not to mention, allowing me to sleep in peace. I thank you for that." _He doesn't know or he doesn't remember that Hotaru was here…Then he couldn't have done anything too heinous or he would be rubbing my face in it…_ With a sigh of relief, Bakura leaned against the door frame and laughed. "We'll call it even then, for the times you saved Aoimori." His darker half frowned but nodded. "Fine, but don't assume the slate is wiped clean. Once I am back on my feet, that girl will be handled. She's proven to be too stubborn, too reckless, and too prone to needing rescue for my taste." As he spoke, the Ancient Soul lied back down and pulled the covers over himself. "Leave me. I doubt I'll need anything more than sleep for the night."

Bakura made a face at Yami's tone but nonetheless shut the door and retreated to the living room. _That was less violent than his usual threats…Not to mention that he stated Aoimori wasn't to his taste instead of calling her a problem or a threat…Maybe he finally is warming to her…_ Sitting on the couch, Bakura's relieved train of thought suddenly came to a crashing halt. "Wait. If he's becoming less violent towards her…Atemu can't be right! There's no way Yami would ever have those feelings for her!" He cried out, his eyes shifting back to his bedroom door. "No way in hell would that happen…He's just trying to make me lower my guard. He surely has a plan to harm Aoimori the second I'm not expecting anything..."

_I won't let him. No matter what I have to do, I won't let him hurt her anymore. _


End file.
